


In The Shadow, In The Light

by Solara432



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fix-It, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It, Time Travel Fix-It, Timey-Wimey, adjusting the narrative
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 38,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23654608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solara432/pseuds/Solara432
Summary: Writing The WrongThis a post Rise Of Skywalker fix-fic but whereupon I am changing some of the story and ending of the film, because let's face it, it sucked.To be clear:Hux does not die, he escapes with Poe and Finn, General Pryde doesn't kill him.General Pryde doesn't die.The First Order wasn't fully defeated, The Final Order Fleet was.Rey does die.Kylo/Ben does not save her, he does do what any normal person would do when their soul-mates dies because the Jedi let her die, he goes full-full dark, as he no longer has a light within the galaxy now.At the end of Rise Of Skywalker The Resistance doesn't fully win (don't get me started on that shit-show).Kylo/Ben Solo is not happy.This is going to involve alternative universe/galaxy time stuff/time-loop/time paradox.Wish me luck. \m/
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Finn/Rose Tico, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 15
Kudos: 28





	1. Prologue

Sat on his throne of ruin and bone of the both the new order and the final order, Ben looked over what was left and held in exhale and closed his eyes.  
When he had come to from being thrown into an almost endless pit by the newly regenerated Palpatine, he had not felt Rey, he used a strength and power he did not know he had, was it the power of light, the power of love, the power of desperation? He didn't care, he simply moved himself up, climbing and cutting his palms on the hateful rock of the godforsaken black pit on Exogal.  
Upon reaching the top he mentally called fully to Rey, maybe she was further away, maybe she was injured, he still didn't fully understand what they had, there was Jedi or Sith manual or guild for it, even Palpatine could't tell him.  
When his eyes saw her, he knew straight away, she was gone, he knew what lay ahead was nothing but the empty shell of the bright star that was Rey. Moving as fast as he could towards her he tried to call out to her, using everything he had inside to call to her, then using all his physical energy to get to her.  
"No..." he breathed exhaustedly as his hand touched her.  
Cold, she was so cold. Nothing but coldness.  
Ben pulled her to him. Crying and losing all control of his emotions.  
"You let her die!" He said, his face resting on her shoulder, feeling the emptiness of her chest and its lifelessness.  
Slowly he lowered her back down peacefully to the ground, looking at her as her lips turned blue and her skin begun to lose its golden hue."You all let her sacrifice herself and let her die!"  
Tearing his eyes away from Rey, tears beginning to spill down his dirty cheeks, Ben looked all up to the sky. "The Jedi claimed to be for guardians of peace and good but only lie and do nothing!" Pointing at Rey but unable to look at her again. "Rey was the only good decent thing in the whole Galaxy, she was made of goodness and light, but you let her die."  
Closing his eyes to contain his pain and anger, he lowered his hand back down to his side. With more venom than he had before Ben opened his eyes and looked ahead of himself to the rubble of the throne of Sith and spoke. "If Rey was my light, the other half part of my soul that give me humanity, my balance and you took her from me...then I am all the darkness that will destroy everything Jedi or Sith, I am the ruin of all everything now. Just-as-you-made-me-be."  
Lifting both of his hands up to the sky where still the ships of The Resistance were Ben shot forth darkside lighting up towards and begun to fry the ships and their pilots within them. All round where Ben stood the power of Exogal absorbed into Ben, the ground beneath shook, what was left of the great all hall crumbled and begun to pull him upwards, raising him up the ground above.  
Ben face was impassive, his anger was hollow and full, there was nothing around him that was not going to be destroy.  
As he rose from the begun the ground, the ships begun to fall around him, crashing into the ground into explosions and flames. Around Ben nothing could penetrate him, the destruction did not touch him.  
Those ships still above that were caught in the destruction begun to escape, the victory that they had minutes ago lost.  
High above the ground now, now surround by a sphere of lighting that gave Ben the image of a living burning angry star, he lowered his hands, as more ships fell around him. Closing his eyes and embracing a darkness that he didn't know existed, Ben let go of every and become one with all the darkness.  
If there was no Rey in the Galaxy, there was no light or goodness to or for Ben.  
There was only the darkness.


	2. Walking In My Shoes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bit of Rose and Hux.  
> This was fun to write.

This was not what he signed up.  
He had hoped at best they’d might eventually kill him or simply abandon him the first chance they got, but no, no these rebels scum, these pathetic people had decided to accept him into their fold and try to make him one of them.  
The nerve!  
A former high raking General in The First Order, a man who worked himself up into the favour of Supreme Leader Snoke, not through birth right, nor some abstract freakish force of nature than allowed him to-  
“Hey Armsie! Think fast!”  
Pushed out of his thought Armitage Hux was met by a large pair of leather brown working gloves being thrown in his face, too late to dodge they slap him square on his nose.  
“Owww!”  
From above him, leaning her head over the wing of the X-Wing that Hux had sat under looking out on the forecourt of the Resistance makeshift docking bay, Rose Tico grinned down at him. “Warned you to think fast.”  
Rubbing his nose with his hands and checking to see that it wasn’t broken or damaged. Hux kept his eyes on Rose Tico as she begun to climb down the ladder of the side of the X-Wing.  
It would add insult to injury that Tico was assigned to Hux as his ‘bodyguard’ as Poe Dameron had put it , with a giant smirk on his face. Of all the people…it had to of been the tiny woman who bit him first time they had encountered each other.  
Taking in his ‘bodyguard’ Hux mentally shook his head at the state of Tico, she was covered in dirt and grime, from nose to cheek.  
“Are we finished here Tico?” Hux asked standing up to his fully height, so he towered over the smaller woman.  
Still grinning at him she begun to wipe on face on sleeve, knowing the look of disgust she would receive from Hux. “We’ve got two more ships to go Armsie.”  
Pushing his lips together and trying to keep his tone even Hux replied. “Please stop calling me by that lazy version of my first name. I would prefer you call me-“  
“Poe told me not to call you Hux.” Rose said, as she picked up the gloves she had thrown to Hux from the floor and putting them on her belt hoop. “Said something about your own safety and to allow you to mingle more into the team.”  
Signing annoyed Hux tried to neaten the wrinkles in his oversized flight suit that had been given on arrival, though it was useless, Hux still tried. “Well isn’t Dameron just so thoughtful. Thinks of everything doesn’t he?”  
“Comeon.” Rose laughed moving under the wing of the X-wing towards the Y-Wing she needed to work on. “I could call you worse.”  
“Please don’t enlighten me in the possible names you could bless me with Tico.” Hux said as he followed her, nearly banging his head, again on the X-wing.  
“Arms…Itage…Ams…A…Mits…” Rose continued as walked.  
“Please stop.” Hux pleased. “Hux, just call me Hux.”  
Rose turned around for a moment to look at his annoyed face and smirked. “Huxley…Hexley…or maybe-“  
“Please don’t say it.”  
“Hugs!” Rose laughed as she stood in front the Y-wing.  
Looking up at the sky Hux wished something would fall on him and kill him then and there, whatever pain it took, just someone or something kill him.  
“Please do not call me that…please.”  
Turning back round to face Hux, Rose smiled in amusement at his reaction, but her smiled slipped away when she saw the genuine look of lost annoyance at her. In all honesty insulting and humiliating Hux was enjoyable, it was something that up till over a year ago she would never of thought possible, the very man who had tried to have her and Finn executed and who had been the cause of many many a death of innocent lives…but this was the man who, for whatever reasons he had, had been the spy to whom had given them countless leads and aids in their fight against The First Order, most to whom only General Organa and Poe had been privy to. This was man who had helped Finn, Poe, Chewy and…Rey escape from The First Order and jumped ship with them and helped give them information in battle of Exogal which had helped greatly. Rose hated him, as much as The First Order, but Hux was a man and he was man who come to the Resistance seeking asylum…so in theory he was as much as a Resistance fighter as herself and Finn.  
However, she still didn’t know the man, she had come to think no-one knew the man, not even Hux himself. What she come see and know about him was he very much the perfect member conditioned member of The First Order, in regard to there cold, hard, emotionless and self righteousness doggedness but he was no longer in The First Order and he still carried so much of it with him, whether it was habit or design Rose was going to, in her own way, get to know this man, as to her Hux was almost as Finn had been, both man had risked their lives to leave, saved other in doing so and had to find themselves after having done so.  
“Hux…” Rose said in a softener tone. “I”m just trying to be friendly to you, like how I am with everyone, y’know, make you feel part of the team.”  
With a look of shock and disgust intermixed in a facial expression of eyebrows raised and mouth opened into a small ‘o’, Hux body stiffened shoulders shooting back. “Friendly…Part…part of the team?”  
“Yeah.” Rose smiled, trying not to make her face look smug at his shocked reaction. “Your part of my team now.”  
Hux opened his mouth to speak, not sure what to say.  
“How about I call you Armitage, just Armitage?” Rose preposed. “I won’t shorten it and i’ll make sure noone else does either. Deal?”  
“I…” Hux breathed, flustered as to how to respond. Taking a breath and composing himself Hux replied with. “Thank you.”  
“Great!” Rose said, throwing her arms and then clapping her palms together. “Let’s get started on this ship.” She turned back around to the slightly burnt and battered Y-wing.  
“Miss Tico…?” Hux said.  
“Huh?” Rose said tilting her head to the side looking at the ship.  
“I don’t mean to be rude but…” Hux flustered again as he spoke. “I do not need your friendship, I understand my position within this establishment is thin and I am here until Dameron sees fit to do away with me. And I simply think-“  
“What?” Rose spun around on her heels to face Hux, moving so fast the glove she hadn’t yet out on flew towards Hux again, which he managed to catch with buttery things. “What in the Wookiee hair ball are you talking about?”  
“I am saying that you do not need to fabricate a friendship or anything with me, I am your slave until-“  
“YOU ARE NOT A SLAVE!” Rose exclaimed.  
“Then what I am doing here? I don’t know how to fix ships or engines or programmes! You have me following you simply for amusement.“ Hux said tightly, trying hard not to tower over Rose, which was difficult.  
“Armitage” Rose sighed. She stepped closer towards and looked up him. “You are a free man, you joined us and you’ve helped us, you can stay here as long as wish. You don’t answer to anyone, you-are-your-own-person.”  
Frowning at Rose, Hux tried to think quick, was what she was saying true, was he a free man? He didn’t feel free, he didn’t think he had ever been free, his whole life had been orchestrated by someone else or his own desire for revenge or to just not be beaten down ever again, always fighting so not to be fought. And what now? The little mouse before him claimed he was free and answered to only himself.  
“I can’t tell you what to do now…” Rose said. “You need stop standing here like you think this is some cosmic punishment and see that you can do whatever you what. You can help us defeat what is left of The First Order or you can just go, be whatever you want.”  
“Go?” Hux laughed shaking his head. “Kylo Ren already has a bounty on my head and I am not exactly unknown in the galaxy.”  
“My enemy’s enemy is my ally.” Rose said raising an eyebrow.  
“Hmmm” Hux thought looking down at the ground and noticing just how filthy the floor was, just like the rest of the place.  
“Armitage think logically. We are the only people you have and we can help you.” Rose said.  
Ironic. Hux thought. The mouse is right.  
“Okay…” Hux said breathed, for a moment he looked lost in thought, then straightening his shoulder he stood to attention and looked directly at Rose. “Show me this relic of rubbish and what needs fixing.”  
Rose smiled and patted Hux on the shoulder. “Loosen up…just pay attention and help me when i need something. Its easier than you’d think.”  
Frowning at Rose, he couldn’t understand this tiny woman, she was a mixture of contradictions and her very presence vexed but he found that she was more clever than he originally gave her credit for.  
Turning away from Hux, she moved underneath the ship and opened up a panel, to which several pieces of its engine or hyperdrive came down with a thud to the ground.  
“Easier than you think?” Hux repeated back to her, a small smile playing on the side of lips.  
Taking a breath, Rose smiled and replied. “Least we know now what we need to start from…On everything.”  
Hux wasn’t sure if Rose just meant the ship or him, or the current state of the resistance/rebellion, but he did know he really couldn’t understand the tiny woman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can anyone guess the song? I’m old and enjoy the classic tunes of misery and woe.
> 
> Walking In My Shoes - Depeche Mode


	3. The Waves Have Come

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still setting up.  
> Getting there.

It was a truly beautiful view, breath taking.  
Ben had to wonder if Rey would have enjoyed it. Of course she would have, she had grown up on a desert planet with nothing like the peaceful serenity of the lakes and waters of Naboo.  
I would have bought you here. Ben thought quietly in his mind. I would of took you swimming in the lake and shown you where my Grandmother’s family lives and where…she was buried.  
At the thought of that he turned his head away from view of the lake from the balcony he towards the tomb where his grandmother lay and where Rey’s laid body rested, his cape heavy black cape tipped with red following moved around in the gentle breeze. Ben’s skin was paler, the shadows under his eyes made his already sunken eyes appear deeper, around his irises a halo of blood red tinted them, slowly his body was adjusting to the power and the darkness that he embraced, his body burned and hummed with it, causing at times for Ben to clench his fists and control it, to stop the feeling that he was not in control of it.  
Ben could remember the feel of her body amongst his as he walked on board of the ship Grand Admiral Pryde had sent down to him. He felt the lightness of her body and tried not think about the first time he had carried her in his arms on Takodana, how different things had been then, if he had known, only if he had known what and who she was he would have never left her alone, he would of stayed with her and…no…whatever had had happened and this was how it was.  
He was born to suffer and he born to destroy, nothing more. He had known something different with Rey for a fleeting moment but that was over with now.  
Done.  
“Your Grace.”  
Standing 2 metres ago from him stood Grand Admiral Pryde, the tall thin man had an empty expression on his face, he never betrayed his feeling and his thoughts were always singular focused. From what Ben had learned of the man he had been one of the original Cultists that had been on Exogal, to whom Palpatine/Snoke had used as being instrumental part of The First Order/The Final Order. If there was anyone that Ben knew was loyal, it was Pryde, though not to him, he was loyal to the idea of darkness and destruction. When Ben had return Pryde had bowed his head as if Ben were a god, to Pryde’s eyes Ben had survived victorious, he had taken the power of the Sith and was the true leader now.  
“The Naboo Crown and Parliament agreed to your terms.” Pryde reported dutifully.  
“Were there any hostilities?” Ben asked.  
"Yes…but the were dealt with, those that did not agree with were told if they did not they and their families would fed to the aquatic life nearby.”  
“Good.” Ben said emotionlessly. “Ensure you find and the Gungans.”  
Moving away from Pryde Ben walked into the tomb.  
It had been 5 months since the death of Rey.  
Since the end of everything.  
Each day felt longer and more hollow. No matter what Ben did he never felt anything, he couldn’t say that he felt better or worse.  
Originally Ben had wanted to build a new tomb for Rey but part of him knew that Rey wouldn’t of wanted that, he wasn’t sure how but he knew. It burnt him to think how little he had known her but just how much he had known her.  
Down the marbled steps he walked, the sound of water running through the flutes tunnels within the tomb, bring with it a scent of warm sea. Inside, as he grew nearer he was greeted by the blue and white flowers that grew all around towards where the final resting places of Padme and Rey’s caskets sat.  
Walking straight over Ben stood in front Rey’s golden decorative sarcophagus. He reach out his right hand and stopped himself for a moment, hovering just above, he took a breath and then lowered his hand down, closing his eyes as he did so.  
“Rey…” He whispered.  
Flashes appeared in mind of Rey, image of her on Takodana of her face, her when she looked down from above after he had killed Han Solo, of their first connection within their Dyad on Ahch-To…more flashes of her of when he has seen and felt her, but then he saw more, Rey as child climbing on top of fallen Star Destroyer on Jakku and looking out the over desert around her for miles and miles, then Rey sitting around a fire with her Resistance friends holding something in that she was eating, smiling and laughing as she did, then Rey training with her lightsaber with his mother watching, Rey holding something that she threw to Chewbacca and clapping when he caught it, Rey laying in her bunk looking upwards with a tear rolling down the side of her face, to which she turned towards him as if she could really see him there.  
“Rey…” He whispered again.  
She continued to look at him and then she spoke. “Ben…”  
In shock Ben opened his eyes but kept his hand on the casket. What was that, was she alive, she said his name like she could see him. Ben put both his hands on the casket, trying to sense any life anywhere. He focused and tried to control himself but his emotions were all over the place.  
The moment was gone. He removed his hands slowly with venomous anger. The rage he had made his body vibrate.  
“You tease me with her.” Ben said slowly. “You think using her against me and hiding her spirit from me I will stop…you are wrong.”  
Moving quickly, so not to let his angry explode while in the tomb Ben flew out and up the stairs into the sunlight. He walked straight onto the front of the balcony towards the massive lake in front of him, not stopping untill he was directly in front of it. Reaching both his hands up he let forth his anger and released a surge of force energy into the water, where he pushed into the middle of the water, clearing to show the bottom of the lake and to where it moved forward up further to the mountain that stood further away and the surge of power hit land and exploded as if a bomb had gone off.  
Turning towards the noise away from his aid Grand Admiral Pryde looked at Ben’s display of anger and strength, smiling like a proud parent.  
With thundering crash the water rejoined itself again and sent all around a slapping wave in all directions around the lake. Boats and ship docked or on the lake barely survived the waves, people around, stormtrooper included run away as quick as they could but most were hit with the wave, causing damage to some builds and houses along and around the lake.  
Standing looking straight ahead Ben slowly lowered his hands to his side and let the anger he still retained settle into his blood.  
“Admiral,” Ben said not turning back to face the man. “Ready our ships, leave Commander Jettion and 2 platoons to ensure my rule, Naboo will not fight us but and operate with extreme prejudice is not obeyed. We leave to begin operation Red Twilight, we start within the Inner Rim, followed by the Colonies, I want no trade in or out of them.”  
“Very good your grace.” Pryde said standing to attention.  
It pained Ben to leave, he didn’t want to leave all that he had left of Rey behind on this planet, a part of him wanted to sit next to her casket and let himself wither away and die, but he wouldn’t do that, he knew that he had to destroy everything that was Jedi, Republic and everything that was not what he decided, he was no longer going to allow anyone to decide for him.  
He was the Galaxly’s Emperor and King, uniting everyone under him and to do what nobody had been able to.  
For Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Waves Have Come - Chelsea Wolf


	4. Maybe Its A Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Poe-ness for you.  
> Its funny when you like and get annoyed by a character all at once.

Sat in what was being using as his makeshift ‘office’ Poe Dameron tried to remember the last time he had known actual peace. His whole life he had been seeking excitement and trying to become his own person, only to join the same cause his parents had fought, and died for. Though he wasn’t annoyed at this, he simply felt it was sadly ironic how his life had ended up.  
He missed Leia, he missed Snap, he missed Rey, he missed so many people who had died on Exogal and who had died over the years.   
Before Exogal he had sat with his fellow resistance fighters sharing a drink and talking freely and somewhat easily, all of them had collectively agreed that when it was all over they wanted to start families, work on their ships, buy something that was their own and live somewhere in peace, all but himself, he had known that his life after the way going to another sort of battle.  
Before her death Leia had taken Poe under her wing and told him more about politics and how to understand people. “You can’t shot or flirt your way into and out of everything Poe.” Leia had warned him.  
The war was not over.  
They were still fighting and they still had so much to do.  
Several things worked in their favour however, both The First Order and The Resistance were scattered, both had had heavy losses of ship and people.  
Poe knew that The First Order was readying itself, as they were, for when and what he couldn’t say. What The Resistance had now was the support of the Galaxy, the actual support of the Galaxy, thanks in part ro Lando Calrissian.  
Though what it accounted to in ships was not known.  
Palpatine was dead, his Final Order was destroyed, a huge bulk of the First Order had been destroyed.   
But Rey was dead, their own fleet and those in the ships that had come to their aid was destroyed.  
“Round and round.” Poe mumbled to himself.  
Standing up he walked over the window that looked out on the the barren muddy isolated planet Shola, they had taken shelter within for the last few months before they were to move on to Dom-Bradden, a place Lando had said would be the perfect place to reconfigure their plans.  
Ohh if only it was that easy.  
After rounding up his Captains, Commanders and Lieutenants there were several planes of though amongst; some wanted to fight as soon as possible, some wanted to wait it out and see what move the First Order took, some wanted to spread themselves out and spy on what The First Order was up. Poe wanted to do all of them but knew that would be impossible.  
He knew what Leia would do, Leia was not hot headed and she knew that even when you knew your enemy you had to know them better than they knew you.  
From the other side the of room his door slide open, Poe knew who it would be before they entered.   
“Commander Finn.” Poe said standing up straight.  
“General Dameron.” Finn replied saluting.  
Both looked at each other for a moment, waiting to see who was the first to break.   
Unable to contain his friend salute, Poe laugh and wave Finn over to where he stood by the window.  
“How you doing buddy?” Poe asked.  
Finn gave a small grimaced and stood next to his friend. “You want the good news or the bad news?”  
“Good please.” Poe replied. “I need to hear something good.”  
“Lando and Jannah report that they’ve managed to get supplies of fuel, food and medicines for our move to Dom-Bradden and those on the planet are willing to help in anyway they can.”  
“Brillant!” Poe laughed. Slapping his hand on his friend shoulder. “But now tell me the bad.”  
Inhaling and composing himself Finn looked Poe in the eye. “Poe…people are leaving, they say they’re going to The Outer Rimm and going to take their chances there, they don’t have it in them to fight again.”  
Nodding Poe looked away from Finn to the ground. “Do you know how many?”  
“I’d say…about 35%of our people haveleft and more have said there’ll go after the move, they’re just waiting to find their own transports there.”  
Looking back to the world outside Poe let his thoughts wondered a moment to before Exogal when things had looked so hopeless, when he had lead their small fleet into battle against an enemy with more worships and fire power than he had had ever seen and how for moment when all hope was gone and he had almost given up completely and he had commit kamikaze, when all those ships had turned up to help…though they had not won they had finished Palpatine’s fleet and escaped.  
“We can only wish them the best and let them make their own choices.” Poe said looking outside. “This is what the war is about now.”  
“What do you mean?” Finn asked.  
“The Galaxy came to us when we need them. They made a choice to fight, something they could never have done before. They want peace and they fought for and they may very well fight again. That gives me hope.”  
“But…they’re leaving.”  
Poe nodded and looked back at Finn, his younger friend who had become his best friend in the short time they had known each other. “Yes and they should. We need to think differently now, we aren’t ready for another battles, I doubt The First Order or Kylo Ren is either. Which works in our favour.”  
“How?”  
“Leia warned me that fighting your enemy with ships and fire power only works for so long. After time you have to fight differently.”  
“Oh no…” Finn said raising his palms in protest. “Your talking politics aren’t?”  
“Similar but more direct.” Poe sighed.  
“But…but you can’t face Kylo Ren!” Finn exclaimed. “He killed Rey! He killed Han Solo! He-“  
Poe folded his arms over his chest and nodded. “Yes, yes, he’s an evil murderer but we have ace in our deck, don’t we?”  
“Eh?”  
“Follow me.” Poe instructed as he walked towards the door and out of his office. Leaving they entered and were met by fellow Resistance members in the dimly lite hallway and corridor, many nodding and saying their greetings to Poe and Finn. The structure that The Resistance had taken refuge in had been an old factory of sorts before the Clones War but had been used as processing plant for weapons during the wars, but it had long since been abandoned because of the damp and muddy conditions of the planet , which ruined the equipment, hence why The Resistance had taken up temporary residence there, no-one else cared for the planet.  
Finn followed behind not sure where his friend was taking him but as they grew nearer to docking bay where he could make out the figure of two people and a droid unloading a crate he started to have a feeling about what he might be up to.  
“Hey Hug!” Poe yelled.  
Holding the side of the crate and trying to operate the mechanics allowing it to hover from the ships it was being transport from, Armitage Hux jumped and miss pressed several buttons and caused the crate to zoom back into its ship, knocking over the droid holding the over end of the it.  
“Oh no…” Hux breathed in annoyedly.  
Rose looked over to see Poe and Finn walked over towards, both of them highly amused at Hux’s little mishap. Rose gave Hux a wave to say it was okay, she’d deal with them.  
“Hey guys, what’s up?” Rose asked walking past Hux to stand in front of him.  
“Well,” Poe started,stopping in front of Rose and rocking on his heels. “We’re gonna need to talk to Mr Hugs here.”  
“Armitage.” Rose corrected Poe.  
“Eh?” Poe frowned.  
“His name is Armitage.” Poe said standing between the two of them.  
“Your name is Armitage.” Finn commented. “I always thought it was something like jerk-“  
Clearing his throat loudly, interrupting Finn in his joke which he knew all too well was at his expense, Hux clapped his hands together behind his back, a past learnt habit that he couldn’t help but do. “If you could be be so kind to tell me what you require my services for?”  
Poe stepped closer to Hux, he straightened himself so that he wasn’t so much shorter than Hux, which he knew was fruitless, even though the man had helped to save his life, and was supposed on the side of The Resistance, Poe knew he would never lose the distaste he held for Hux. “Hux…I need to know your opinion about The First Order as it is now.”  
“I’ve told you all information concerning security.” Hux said almost tiredly. “Everything I know will be out of date and useless to you. The First Order-“  
“Kylo Ren…” Poe said, louder and angrier than he intended. “What do you think of his role now as Leader?”  
“Ren?” Hux exclaimed, his own dislike rolling off of him. “He was barely a Leader when I was within The First Order, he was obsessed with his families past and his powers, he couldn’t lead The First Order to breakfast without messing it up.”  
“But he over threw and gained control of more systems in the past year than The First Order did in the last 4 years.” Poe said confused.  
Hux rolled his eyes, looking up to the sky. “That’s more down to the General and their armies, Ren was just a figure head, he never took control after Snoke.”  
“So it was just you?” Finn asked angrily.  
“No…” Hux said annoyed. “After….” Hux took a breath, realising he was about to talk to Poe Dameron, of all people, about his decision to leave The First Order. “Crait, it was decided the senior Generals would become more central to the future, everyone was pushed out or moved elsewhere.”  
Finn said sharply.”But not you.”  
“I was kept as aid to General Pryde, he didn’t trust me else and wanted me near, leverage against Ren I supose.” Hux replied. “Ren was unstable and Pryde was filled with plans that he only ever disclosed to those on his table, I was not one of them.”  
“Hmmm…” Poe said, put his hand on his chin thoughtfully.”This Pryde fella. How close is he to Ren?”  
“Close?” Hux scoffed. “I would never say anyone was close to Ren, but I know he would have the ear of Ren, he was very good at pacifying him when needed.”  
“Out of the two of them, who would be easier to get to?” Poe asked,  
“Get to?” Hux frowned. “What do you mean?”  
Poe smiled at Hux and put his arm around his shoulders, which caused Hux to jump and looked as someone had just stunned him. “You my dear Hux are the key to how this plan’ll work.”  
Both Finn and Rose turned to look after eachother, internally they both thought the same thought; Poe was up something and they were going to have to be the ones to go along for the ride.


	5. My Name Is Ruin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To be honest knowing how you make an actual lightsaber is abit up in the air, init, I can't say I've ever meet a person down the pub or the pit who's made one, so probably playing fast and loose with this.  
> Enjoy.

Ben held the kyber crystal, though it had taken days he managed to find it in the ruins of Mygeeto one day ago, it was unlike the previous crystal he had had for his cross-guarded lightsaber, it was not fractured, looking at her under the soft lighting of his quarters he felt as if he could see the galaxy twirling around within it.  
Alone in his overtly large grey and black quarters Ben sat crossed legged on the ground, ahead of him he faced his window looking out into the vast emptiness of space.  
The Dreadnaught, The Obliterator, for which Ben held Commander of, was stationery near Rakata Prime, where Ben had been searching for Jedi/Sith artefacts and laid waste to most of the Planet and placed the inhabitant under the control of The First Order. It was somewhere where Ben had wanted to use the Darkside power for which he knew it still processed for what he was about to do.  
He had played with the idea of dismantling his mother’s lighsaber’s and Rey’s but a part of him could not, feeling it would be a dishonour to their memoirs.  
No, this lightsaber would be his, he would make this lightsaber and it would see him through to the end of his life, when he had completed what needed to be done.  
Part of him felt that he did not want to go through the process of bleeding this crystal, it had called to him from within frozen icy cave in the wasteland of the unforgiving planet, just before he had wanted to order Grand Admiral Grand Pryde to destroy the useless planet with what weaponry that had, when a warm glow and shone ahead of him and guided him into the dark cave of ice.  
This kyber crystal was orange with flicks of golden and it felt warm in his hands.  
Closing his eyes Ben held tightly on to the the crystal in his palm, crushing it and letting it push into his palm till it begun to bleed. Ben focused on his anger and all of his hatred for Snoke, Palpatine and The Jedi, he focused on his pain of losing Rey and what was could of and what was taken from him, he let his rage run through his veins and into the crystal, he focused on his lost and knowing he was losted himself now and how much fear and anger he had at this fact.  
Around Ben in his quarters everything that wasn’t held day begun to fly away and crush into the walls and each other, anything and everything breakable begun to shatter and break.  
But Ben remained focused, his eyes closed and his body vibrating with the power of the darkside and his desire for destruction and ruin.  
Rising his other hand Ben held it up level with his hand which held the crystal, Ben called through the force to the items for which he needed for his construction of his new lightsaber. Amongst the chaos and the massive, parts begun to fly towards Ben and laid in front of him.  
“Ben…” A gentle voice called out to him.  
Focusing harder he tried to ignore the voice, he knew it was not real, his mind and the force were playing tricks on him.  
His right land begun to bleed profusely and the skin on his hand started to burn red and then glow. Sweat begun to fall down his face and his breathing started to quicken.  
Pain, hate, anger and rage spun all around Ben’s head. Images of all things he wished to do, the ruin and death he would bring now to everything, absolute destruction he would cause.  
“Ben…” The gentle voice called.  
In front Ben his lightsaber begun to take shape. The components starts to wire themselves and spark to life.  
Still Ben had the crystal, glowing and bleeding more tightly in his palm.  
“Ben!” The voice shouted.  
Unable to ignore the voice Ben opened his eyes.  
Before him stood Rey, as clear and real as anything.  
“You are not here.” Ben said angrily, rising his chin.  
The figure of Rey looked at him with watery sad eyes, her face was as it had been on Exogal, bloody, bruised and dirty but still so beautiful. Her hands were by her side, next to her battle worn and dirtied clothes.  
“This is the force trying to stop me isn’t it?” Ben said through gritted teeth.  
In front of him the lightsaber was almost ready, its casing black and slivery.  
“You take her from me and then taunt me?” Ben yelled.  
Rey’s eyes begun to truly water now, tears run down her cheeks, leaving tear streaks along the dirt. Her face sad and mournful but she said nothing.  
Below him the finished lightsaber flew into his left palm. Ben looked down at it, he was neither joyed or impressed by it. Opening his right palm, which held his cyber crystal, Ben looked at the blooded object, which now was pure black in colour. Taking the crystal Ben placed it inside the lightsaber.  
Standing up from his seated position Ben held his new lightsaber in his hand. Around his room everything that being lifted up came crashing to the ground.  
Taking two massive steps Ben let himself stand in front of the Rey before him.  
“There is no light now.” With that Ben turned on his lightsaber which burned to life on blackened crimson, unable his previous lightsaber this one did not crackle and screamed in his activation, it was smooth and menacing.  
The green eyes of Rey looked at the blade, her face still saddened and lost.  
“Only darkness.” Ben raised his lightsaber and slashed through the Rey before him, causing the manifestation to vanish and leave Ben alone in his quarters breathing heavily and leant forwards with one hand resting on the window out into the nothing of space before.  
“I am ruin.” Ben breathed defeatedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My Name Is Ruin - Gary Numan  
> (Tuneeeeee)
> 
> Again fast and lose but the crystal/force projects the form of Rey to try to stop Ben, which doesn’t go to plan. 
> 
> There is a reason why I’m calling Him Ben, it’s not for shits and giggles, there’s a reason, there really is....


	6. Best Laying Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting there....somewhere over that neon rainbow.

Honestly Poe had to hand it Lando Calrissian, the former General, smuggler, gambler and womaniser had found them a place that was better than they could have hoped for, it was far from where they could draw attention to themselves but near enough to a belt of space that allowed easy access for supplies and reconnaissance for them against The First Order.   
This would be the first time in 2 months most of the Resistance would be together on Dom-Bradden, Poe needed to touch base with everyone, he need to see if there was any intel or updates concerning The First Order and he needed to see how everyone was doing.  
Looking out to the mish mesh of ships settled and those which were landing near and within eyesight distance, Poe would see familiar faces and old friends.   
Looking behind him in the mining cave that they settled sat the Millennium Falcon, The Med ship and Class-C5 Frigate ship. Considering they had landed at dawn they were doing quite well setting up places for people sleep and eat, both their droids and resistance working quick handedly together. Looking to his wrist at comm device he realised it was still early and frowned.  
“A cycle on this planet is 38 hours.” A voice said walking up towards him.  
Poe sighed, realising this planet was going to play havoc with everyone for at least a week, it was small matter but still an annoyance.   
Lando Calrissian still dressed in his golden cape attire that Poe had come accustomed to seeing him in smiled broadly at his young friend. “Come on now, we could still go to that swamp planet Jannah and I found, has some truly stunning wildlife there.”  
“No thanks.” Poe laughed.  
“How you holding up buddy?” Lando asked patting Poe on the shoulder.  
“Honestly…could be better.”  
“Couldn’t we all.” Lando agreed.  
“How’s…how’s Chewy?” Poe asked worriedly.  
“Ahhh, well he’s as well as can be expected. He loved that little Girl Rey and Leia…I don’t think he knows what to do with himself.” Lando admitted.   
“Are you gonna stick around much longer. We need you.”  
Lando looked down to the ground, his weathered youthful usually playful expression changed. “Poe…I’ll stay but I’m an old timer now, there only so much I can do for you guys.”  
“Nonsense!” Poe exclaimed. “You can out fly and out shot literally half the guys in the Resistance! If Leia was here and heard you talk like that she’d slap you and trust me, she had a good hand on her for it.”  
Chuckling and lost in his own memories Lando smiled. “Trust me, I was slapped plenty by her Highness, always leading Han to mischief and trouble.”  
“I’d love to hear about that.” Poe laughed. “But first let’s get everyone rounded up for briefing and then some grub. Its almost lunch or breakfast still.”

Chewbacca sometimes worried how The Millennium Falcon still held together, it either sheer will or spit, he wasn’t sure. Luke used to talk about the force and will of it. Chewbacca never understand any of that, he didn’t disbelieve it existed and he had seen it himself multiple times in his lifetime but he could never understand it.   
Clearing out some of the Falcon Chewbacca pulled a draw to find a few things that made him stop in his tracks. Rey’s things, it wasn’t much, one of the books she had taken from Achto, spare clothes, the blaster Han had given her and poucho that he given to keep the warm blooded Jakku native comfortable and dry when needed.   
Han, Luke, Leia and Rey, all none and he couldn’t save any of them.   
Mournfully Chewbacca let out a low moan.  
“Hey Chewy!” Finn called out running up the ramp of the Falcon.   
Shaking his head, the 200 plus years old Wookiee shook his long maned head and turned around to his friend.  
Seeing the familiar face of Finn Chewbacca flung his arms open and embraced the young man in one of his legendary hugs and pulled him close to him, giving Finn a mouthful of hair in the process.  
“Errr Ch-ew-y ca-n’t breath.” Finn said in tight choking voice.  
Realising he was squeezing too hard Chewbacca let go.  
“Thanks man.” Finn said catching his breath. Inhaling and putting his hand on his chest Finn had to laugh to himself. It was that long ago the overly large hairy Wookiee wasn’t overly fond of him, to the point that Finn was pretty sure Chewbacca would swear at him as Rey could chuckle and never tell him what Chewbacca had said. “You looking good Chewy? Did you take that bath you been saying you been wanting?”  
Chewbacca struggled and responded.  
Though not entirely sure what Chewbacca said, Finn figured it was no. “Well don’t worry, pretty sure we can get that sorted.”  
Coming out of the cockpit holding a Datapad and reading it thoroughly was Jannah, wearing green and golden mixed outfit with a cape, and her naturally curly and loose on her head Finn couldn’t help but think she had been taking style tips from Calrissian in the months they both been gone.  
“Hey Jannah.” Finn greeted.  
“Finn.” She smiled, placing the Datapad down. “How’re you doing?”  
“Good! Good.” Finn said clapping his hands together enthusiastically and rolling on his heels slightly.  
Looking between the two Chewbacca rolled his eyes and thought to himself. ‘Humans, they are always so strange.’  
Closing the draw behind him with his foot, wanting to leave Rey’s things in there for a while longer, Chewbacca shrugged and throw his hairy arms up and announced he was going to get something to eat and started out.   
“Bye Chewy.” Finn called and watched him go.  
“What’s up?” Jannah asked rising an eyebrow.  
“Up? What do you mean?” Finn asked faking his confusion.  
“Comeon Finn.” Jannah said putting one hand on her hip.  
Tying to keep a honest confused face for moment Finn failed. “Okay…okay I need to talk to you about something.”  
“Hmmm…you didn’t break something again did you.” Jannah asked  
“What…no! And that was once and it wasn’t me, it was BB8 being a spanner and-“  
“Comeon out with it soldier.” Jannah chuckled, using the name she gave him, from getting to know Finn she had come to see that Finn was quite honestly the worst stormtrooper she had ever met, he could fire straight for one thing.  
Inhaling Finn said. “Its about Rose.”  
“Rose?”  
“Rose.” Finn nodded.   
“What about her?”  
“She…she really been hanging out with Hux a lot and I mean a-lot lot.” Finn said rising his eyebrows.  
Tilting her head to the side Jannah put her hand back on hip. “You mean a lot like Poe assigning her to him, hmmm?”  
“No…yeah but-“  
Smirking Jannah teased. “Commander Finn are we jealous?”  
“No.” Finn said tightening his mouth and shaking his head. “Not at all, I’m just concerned for a friend and…”  
“Finn…” Jannah walked over to him put a friendly hand on his shoulder. “You told Rose you didn’t want to start anything while this war is on. So shes y’know living her life.”  
“Yeah but it’s Hux, he’s a slime ball, he’s Rancor waste and he’s-“  
Putting her other hand on Finn’s shoulder so she could face him directly. “Finn, he left The First Order, like us, whether you like it not, he’s one of us now.”  
“But he killed hundred of thousand of innocent of people.” Finn protested.  
“How many did we kill on missions.” Jannah said firmly. “I can’t sleep out from the memories of everything I’ve done and been a part of.”  
“But…why him?” Finn said defeatedly looking away from Jannah. “She’s so good and she likes him.”  
“She likes him because she’s good Finn.”   
“Yeah…I guess.” Finn breathed out.   
When Rose had kissed Finn on Crait after saving his life almost 2 years ago, Finn hadn’t known how to react, he was still shocked there was someone out there that cared for him but someone who had actual feelings for him? When Finn had asked Poe for advice, Poe had congratulated him but warned him starting relationships during war, which had given Finn pause for thought. He cared for Rose but he didn’t know how to start being with anyone that way, he wasn’t even sure if he understood his own feelings. Finn knew he was jealous but, like before, now wasn’t the time to start processing.  
Placing her hand on back of Finn’s head and lent her forehead against his, something that some Stormtrooper did in momentary wordless support to each other, Jannah didn’t say anymore, she knew this was something that Finn had to sort out.  
Pulling away after she felt that it was long enough Jannah turned around and picked up her Datapad, her expression changing.   
“You gonna ask me about what me and Lando found?” Jannah asked  
“I thought you draw a blank, that was your last report.” Finn frowned.  
“Lando’s idea, he didn’t want to broadcast until we were sure.”  
“And are we sure?”   
Grimacing she pulled the Datapad close, as if she need to prepare herself for what she about to tell him. “Yes and its’ worse than we thought.”  
“Ohh crap.” Finn said tiredly.  
“I need to see Poe asap. Do you think you can help me?” Jannah asked.  
Sometimes Finn had to remind himself that Poe being a General now he wasn’t the flyboy pilot he had been and getting to talk to him wasn’t always easy, especially now with the move.  
“Of course.”  
Both left the Millennium Falcon and headed to where Finn hoped he would find Poe. Along there way out, Finn was greeted by tired and weathered looking Kaydel Connix and Beaumont Kin who gave Finn a high five as they passed. Out of the cave Finn walked out amongst the Crowd and tried to see what he was looking for, though amongst the many ships and people wasn’t easy. Everyone around was carrying something to somewhere else and seemed as if they were battled worn and tired, Finn could only guess these were some of the people who had rejoined for shelter and safety before they made there move, there was too many families with little ones for them fo be fighter in the Resistance.   
A few people recognised Finn, nodding and smiling at him.  
“Should we go ask C3PO if he knows where he is?” Jannah asked following.  
“What and get your ears talked bloodless from his stories?” Finn laughed. “Besides, Poe tends to hid from 3PO from dusk till dawn.”  
Scanning and scaning through the crowds, Finn found what he looking for.  
Standing in front of a beaten and very battered X-wing was Poe, talking to its pilot, with Poe’s hand resting protectively on the ship, listening but also inspecting his old X-wing.  
Finn gave Jannah a knowing look, both knew that Poe was still a pilot at heart.  
“General.” Finn called out nearing the ship and the two.  
Turning his attention away Poe saw both former Stormtroopers and smiled in greeting. Turning back to the pilot Poe shook his hand and bid the pilot good bye.  
“Thought you gave up the X-wing for Jucks?” Finn teased.  
Waving a hand at Poe put his hand back on the ship. “I like to check in on every now and again, let the girl know I still care.”  
Jannah shook her head, she would never understand people and there love of their ships, for the last few months Lando had told her stories about The Millennium Falcon and it adventures, she didn’t want to say anything but she attributed it was those in the ship more than the ship that had the adventures, the ship was a ship, nothing more.  
“Jannah’s got something for you.” Finn said nodding at Jannah.   
Stepping in front of Finn, Jannah gave Poe the Datapad.  
“What am I looking at Jannah?” Poe asked taking the Datapad.  
“We didn’t find those Stormtrooper training camps that we went looking for, we found where they were but nothing was left.” Jannah reported.  
“Yeah.” Poe frowned. “You guys said that they must of moved it elsewhere or they taking the untrained troops out to active duty anyway.”  
“No that’s not the case.” Jannah said. Taking a breath Jannah started. “Everything we’ve found indicates that The Stormtrooper programme had been closedown and finished with, that the taking of civilians at young ages, or any ages if no longer in use.”  
“What! Thats amazing!” Finn laughed, practically jumping up and down.  
Both Jannah and Poe looked at each other with knowing looks, this on one side this was positive, The First Order would no longer steal civilians and destroy lives and make slaves and soldiers of those they took.  
“Why are we not happy?” Finn asked realising the silence between the two.  
Poe looked at the Datapad and opened it.  
“We found information concerning a new contract that was drawn up by The First Order requesting production of Clones…an army of clones to be accept.” Jannah explained. “Lando found from one of his old smuggler networks that he keeps taps on, its an open contract with a pretty heavy pay package for it.”  
Looking at it for himself, Poe could see the details of The First Order request for a cloning contract. Looking fast he could not find what he needed. “There’s no date Jannah. Does Lando know the date when they sent this out? Was it yesterday or last week.”  
Swallowing Jannah shook her head. “This was requested 2 years ago. We found a follow up connect that said the contract had been fulfilled.”  
“Wait wait.” Finn said waving his head. “No-one clones anymore. That technology was destroyed by the Empire. It was something they used to tell us in training, didn’t they Jannah. The First Order wanted real soldiers and wanted people from all over the Galaxy, it was just Wampa fur and stuff to make us feel special.”  
Looking at the Datapad again Poe read to the bottom at who made the request.  
“Superme Leader Kylo Ren.” Poe read.   
Passing Jannah the Datapad, Poe took a breath and thought quickly. He could hear Finn asking questions and Jannah answering about what she’d found out but he didn’t listen. Poe had been taught a fair amount the Clones Wars, he had even meet a former soldier that his parents had fought with on Endor and from what he knew, they were ‘created’ and their growth was superseded, they were trained thoroughly and had been considered the perfect soldiers. After the clone wars some were retired or intrigtarted into The Empire as first generation stormtroopers and trainers of the new soldier and no-one knew exactly where they all went but he knew was of the reasons they vanished was their connection to The Jedi and who they had fought for had been considered bad press for Palpatine and his then new Empire. The productions of mass cloning had been forbidden by The Empire and The New Republic for fear of new army, created by anyone with enough money.  
“Let’s go talk to Hux.” Poe said interrupting Finn and Jannah.

“What? This is impossible.” Hux protested as he looked at the Datapad that Poe had bought to him. Shaking his head he read it again and repeated himself.  
“So you knew nothing about this?” Poe asked skeptically.  
Looking one last time Hux shook his head. “No, this would of been part of the sea change that Pryde implemented and begun with Ren after the death of Snoke.”  
In the new empty mess hall, that was still under construction, with Poe, Finn, Jannah and with Rose sat next to him sat Armitage Hux looking tired and weary, his brown and grey outfit looked like it needed a wash and iron, his red hair was greasy and limp.   
“So you can’t tell us anything about where or who?” Finn asked, trying not be too harsh and keep his tone even.  
“No.” Hux said again firmly. “I told you everything I can. This was happening without my knowledge or constant, which doesn’t amount to anything but it wasn’t.”  
“Constant? Why wouldn’t you constant?” Poe asked curiously.  
Frowning Hux fidgets in his seat and cleared his throat. “Well you know the stories don’t you?” He looked around at everyone and saw that confused faces. “About clones?”  
Leaning forward Rose bit her thumb thinking. “Paige and I heard stories, about clones, how some of them went insane.”  
Nodding Hux replied. “Thats one of the symptoms, but from the reports I saw about testing and trails that were done before my time, they were more dangerous than useful.”  
“But people and children weren’t?” Finn said under his breath.   
Underneath the table Jannah kicked Finn in the shin, causing him to eek in pain.   
Poe run his fingers through his hair, pulling as he did so in thought, trying to think how they could handle this.  
“So somewhere out there, their building an army of clones. This changes our plans.” Poe said after a moment.  
Hux sat up and his hope bright in his eye. “So you won’t need me?”  
Smiling at Hux, knowing it was cruel but unable to help himself, Poe replied. “No buddy, your the ace in my deck and I’m gonna still need you for spying and getting info.”  
“Wonderful.” Hux said leaning back in his chair and putting his hands on his lap,  
By his side Rose reached out and gave his hand a supportive hold for a moment. Hux put his hand on top of hers as thanks and realised just how small her hands were and just how tiny her nails were, which were in need of a good wash before she ate her next meal.  
Looking around at everyone Poe took in the group, these were the team he trusted and was going to need for his plans, bar one who he was on the fence about, Poe knew they were all in with him.  
“Guy…I know we’ve just got here and you all want some down time but we need to work fast. Finn, Jannah, I want you to take the Falcon with chewy and Lando to chase any leads. Find out who was doing big business in cloning 2 years ago but has gone quiet. Find out what resources they use to make them, see who being selling and buying.”  
“Roger.” Finn and Jannah said in unison.  
“Hux, Rose, I’m going to need you to get ready for your trip sooner than I planned.” Poe said.  
“What do you need?” Rose asked.  
“We need a Imperial shuttle, which I got someone working on and need to get you guys near a First Order base and see if we can get you inside. R2 and 3PO have been looking at places that are First Order controlled, possibly somewhere that they won’t recognise you but capable for us to get you in for a few hours and then out quicker than a Wookiee can spit.”   
“Right.” Rose said.   
Next to her Hux sat bug eyed and pale. Though Rose had told him that they could do it easily and they just had to have faith, Hux wanted to laugh at her overly deep hope in The Resistance and what they could do but he knew, despite everything, the ragtag bunch of people that he was a part of had beaten the odds…maybe it would work.  
“Yes…yes.” Hux said looking between Poe and Rose, trying to convince himself that he was completely of faith in the plan.  
After all, best laid plans were better than no plan. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo clones, gotta love clones.  
> Spying, gotta love spying.


	7. Cut Right Through

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad Ben, bad Ben what you gonna do, what you gonna do when he comes for you.

Grand Admiral Pryde felt extremely pleased with the latest developments, things were truly coming together and their Leader was forming into as cunning and aggressive as Palpatine. For over 30 year Pryde had been waiting for this, everything Palpatine had said would happen was.  
Leaning back in his chair inside his large clinically white and grey office behind his steel cold metal desk, Pryde had to wonder what he would do when finally the Galaxy was in order and there nothing but single rule and obeisance. He knew he still had much to do before than, he needed to find replacements he trusted after losing so many at Exogal and the betrayal of Hux.  
Hissing under his breath and thought of Hux, Pryde hoped that when they caught him that his death would be slow and painful.  
“Pryde.” The Emperor Ren shot of his desk intercom. “Meet me in my training faculties now.”  
“Yes your Grace.” Pryde responded, standing and leaving his office.

With one fluid move quicker than the eye move Ben slashed his lightsaber across and through 5 battle droids that went down to the ground in loud unified thud. Flipping his weapon from his right to left and spinning in his palm Ben struck another two of the battle droids.  
For a split second Ben stopped to take a breath, his face, black vest and trousers covered in his sweat, feeling through the force what was around him and realising that there was noting left standing.  
Surrounding him in various states of destroyed and cut through were at least 30 battle droids, there bulky tall bodies took up all the surrounding space that Ben stood in. Despite his intense training and fighting he felt fatigued and restless, the droids had been far too easy, Ben felt frustrated. The last time he had fought someone worthy was Rey, even his Knights Of Ren were too easy, a good fight but they had been lacking.  
Ben flipped his lightsaber out of his hand towards the doorway which opened to Grand Admiral Pryde, who, without flinching stood face to face with the blood red blade.  
“Report.” Ben said simply, allowing his blade to remain active in front of the other man’s face for longer.  
Not even looking at the blade, Pryde kept his eyes on Ben, his back straight and firm.  
“We have taken Prakith, Constancia, Byss and are to arrive on Tython your grace.”  
Running his hand through his sweat damp hair Ben called his lightsaber back to its maker and placed it on his belt so it rested on his hip. Ben stepped over the droids, not even looking to them as he moved towards Pryde.  
“And the clones.?” Ben asked.  
“They will be ready for when we take Coruscant.” Pryde said.  
Standing in front of Pryde, Ben simply nodded and left the training room to return to his quarters to shower.  
“Your Grace?” Pryde asked as Ben left.  
Turning around and simply looking at Pryde with mild annoyance but lifting his chin to acknowledge the man to talk.  
“The Resistance. What is your plan?”  
Ben looked at Pryde. He could see the man was itching to finish the Resistance once and for. He could understand why, he himself not so long had been desperate to end them, to do away with their pity thefts and dogfights in space, the game of predator and prey.  
“Soon.” Ben said. “Once we have the clones ready and control of what we need, we can end them.”  
“But your grace.” Pryde said, “should we not be looking for them.”  
If it had been anyone else questioning him in methods, Ben would of strangled them with the force and thrown them across the room, as he had done so with Hux many a time. However, Pryde was someone who Ben knew would listen to commands and orders, this was man who had worked under Palpatine and had lived for whatever was wished of by his late Emperor.  
“Trust in the darkside Admiral.” Was all Ben said before he continued on his way, leaving Pryde to salute him and leave the man with a new gleam in his eye of pride.

Two days after Ben found himself standing in front another lost to time Jedi Temple, behind stood his personal platoon from The Obliterator, who had accompanied him to the surface, with 3 AT-M6 walkers . Around the air was frigid and biting, the surrounding area was mountainous with its inhabitants offering nothing more than surrender when they arrived, their planet was nothing of importance to many but of value to The First Order to be able to use an a way to control trade and movement through that part of the Galaxy with the new technology that Pryde and his lieutenants had bought with that, a device that had kept people away from Exogal was to used for the opposite reason.  
Entirely in black with his cloak which had once belonged to his Grandfather, Ben turned and looked at his platoon behind him, faces covered, impersonal and unreadable to someone else, all awaiting orders.  
“Destroy and lay this temple to ruin, I want nothing left standing.” Ben ordered.  
In the span of what could only of been minutes the ancient Jedi Temple was laid to waste, there was nothing left to define what it had once been.  
Ben recalled for a moment how over 22 years ago how he and his Uncle Luke Skywalker had come to the Temple and walked on the old marble stone floor and wowed at it impressive structure inside, there stood walls and pillars that went on and on, high ceiling, every inch from ground up covered in curving, painting and drawing.  
‘The Jedi used the force to build this place. Every aspect was lifted and carried from the stones on the mountains down and placed using their connection to the force for guidance.’ Luke had told him, touching a pillar with its details carving of patterns of the stars. ‘They were building it over generations and generations, each one adding something new to it, something that gave stories of their individual journeys in the Force. They only traveled so far in this system, always coming back here.’  
‘Why didn’t they travel further?’ A young Ben Solo asked.  
‘They didn’t need to.’ Luke tried to explain. ‘They had everything they needed here. Their lives were simple, simply revolving around their connection to the force, they never made lightsabers or fought or used any form of defence.’  
’Sounds boring.’ Ben commented looking up the high ceiling with even more carving, showing details he couldn’t quite make out but seemed to show more stars and people.  
Facing his young nephew Luke smiled lightly, seeing the impatience of his nephew, the desire for action and adventure. ‘Ben, the force and your connection is simple and pure, you will always carry it with you, it is an ability to connect closer to the galaxy and feel more than most people, you don’t need to fight or defend yourself from it or for it, you simply are one with it.’  
’So why do you have a lightsaber?’  
‘Well…some people don’t have the same connection to the galaxy, so you have to be prepared.’ Luke tried to explain.  
‘Is that what happened when we went Elphrona?’  
‘Yes.’ Luke nodded.  
Ben wondered what it would of been like to live in place like this, to live like a monk and simply use your connection in the force to sit around and spend your days connected to space and basically carving on anything you could reach in your lifetime. Walking further away from his Uncle, looking at the details of the pillar, Ben kept looking up to ceiling, tilting his head so far back he was bending his spine trying to define anything, so many details he could not make out clearly. With his attention drawn away Ben didn’t notice part of the uneven floor and fell down, using his palms to brace himself for the fall, he made contact with the ground beneath him.  
For a moment nothing happened but then as Ben looked down he begun to see the ground moving and curving, seeming to come to life and amongst them he could see people, not with great details, bodies without face or features. He could see two people with their back to him standing before someone on what looked a chair, no, some sort of throne. The person on the throne stood up and something, lightening or fire, came from their hands towards the two. One of the people was thrown from the image and vanished into space, leaving the other alone. The lone person, who had fallen, stood and as the person on the throne went to do what they done again with their lightening/fire, the person did something to push it back on them. The person on the throne vanished into nothing and the lone person fell.  
Ben looked at the image and went to call his Uncle to have a look when the image swirled around and changed. This next person stood, their image larger this time so Ben could see more detail, they had long hair and a cape, that made them look huge. They lifted up their right hand and within their grasp they held someone by their neck and was choking them, their fingers tightening around their neck. Ben tried to look at the person, but he could only see the back of their head, their arms triying to fight the persons grasp on them, he could tell this person was smaller, as he could see their feet were lifted from the ground.  
Suddenly, the person being choked stopped moving, their body went limp before him.  
No. Ben thought desperately as he watched.  
The person who had choked the other smaller person bought the limp body close to themselves. Nothing happened but them Ben felt something with the force change and the image exploded and pushed Ben backwards onto his buttocks.  
‘Ben what are you doing?’ His Uncle called over to him annoyed.  
In shock Ben sat up and looked over to what he had seen, the carving and images were still, nothing different or changed. Opening his mouth to speak and explain what he had just seen he stopped himself, he couldn’t explain it and he knew his Uncle was already treating him as he was a mischievous child on the boundaries of being a hazard to anywhere they went looking at Jedi Temples.  
’Sorry, I fell.’ Ben replied as he Uncle stood before him, looking down at his nephew.  
‘Comeon.’ Luke said, reaching out his hand to help his nephew up.  
It had been years since Ben had thought of that moment or the place he now stood. Part of wished for a moment he had gone inside to look again at the temple but he remembered why he was destroying it.  
Ending the Jedi, letting their legacy die and be forgotten.  
Once and for all.


	8. HeadLong

  
Rose was sat crossed legged reading through a data-pad with inventory that they had come up with possible places they could infiltrate. They kept coming back to the same problem, Hux was both a recognised and wanted man within the First Order, for them to go undercover it had to be somewhere they were unlikely to recognise him but also somewhere he would know his way around to get the information they needed from their system.  
Beside her laid Hux on his back looking up at the night sky, though it was quite late there was a buzz of activity around the base, with people moving and taking items into and out the base. Hux had tried to think in his head anywhere that he knew they could use, but the problem was for the last year within The First Order he had been on a short lease that Kylo Ren and Pryde had held, he had been primarily station on Steadfast and only leaving for journeys when necessary and when with Ren or Pryde.  
“This is not looking good.” Rose said as she put the data pad down.  
“It wasn’t looking good at any point.” Hux pointed out. “I know The Resistance and Rebellion has been built on acts of skullduggery and duplicity but this not one of those times it will work.”  
“Your-just-frightened.” Rose said crossing her arms.  
Lifting his head up of the ground to look at Rose Hux responded. “Of course I am. This is the First Order, you know as well as I do that doing this is not like changing a power coupling on an X-wing Rose.”  
“Oh now you’re saying changing a power coupling is easy?” Rose chuckled.  
Pressing his lips together Hux felt frustrated. He had tried to convince Rose, and Dameron, that it was near impossible to do what they wanted. Poe said nothing was impossible. Which had made Hux want to bang his head against the wall, a lot.  
“Rose, even if we get in, we might not be able to get out.” Hux said sitting up his expression changed to worry and fear. “I know how they operate.”  
Seeing how intense he had become, Rose patted his left knee. “But we have to try, otherwise we’re dead anyway.”  
Shaking his head Hux. “With that mentality I’m surprised half of you are still alive.”  
Rose shrugged. “With the mentality of the First Order and how you guys shoot, its not that hard.”  
Hux had to laugh slightly, Stormtroopers had the most terrible shooting skills, it truly as bad and as known throughout the Galaxy as he had guessed.  
“Children.” Came Maz Kanata who stood in front of them.  
“Hey Maz.” Rose greeted. “How’s it going?”  
“Hmm…Considered I’m a thousand years old and still running around like a young’un, could be worse.” Maz shrugged.  
“Statement of the decade.” Hux said under his breath, receiving a look from Rose.  
Looking at Hux, Maz took in the fiery haired young man, she had made her decisions about him a while ago and still stood by it, he was yet to prove it to her but she still stood by it.  
“I’ve found you a planet.” Maz said folding her arms over her still chest and causing her bracelets to jingle.  
“You have?” Both Rose and Hux said.  
“Yes, of course, they don’t call me The Pirate Queen solely because of my good looks y’know.” Maz said firmly.  
“Where is it?” Rose asked, not wanting to draw Maz into a argument about her credentials.  
“Gree, end of nowhere, wasteland, but The First Order have set up there, seems they’ve been expanding their reach on that region for a year or so.” Man explained.  
Hux tried to remember the name, he hadn’t read any reports on it but he had heard that name from Pryde and another admiral. “But I’ve never been there.”  
Turning to face him Man shrugged her small shoulders. “Sorry boy but you going to have to think on your feet when you get there.”  
“Whats special about Gree?” Rose asked both of them. She quickly started typing to find anything out about it and came up with exactly what Maz had said; wasteland, of rotten earth and soil that those living there had abandoned and either gone deep underground away from the marshland and ruin, or built up the sky. “The only useful thing there is that its oceans are clean but contain no life…nothing. Its a dead planet, with no life.”  
“The First Order was taking interest in planets that they could use as tests for weapons and training, the harsher the better.” Hux said, thinking to himself why they were use that planet.  
“Where’s their base on the planet?”  
“Northside of the pole, the only place where there’s still sunlight.” Maz said.  
Rose and Hux looked at each other.  
“Let’s get going.” Rose nodded getting onto her feet, looking down at Maz, who was only slightly shorter than Rose. “Any news on the shuttle?”  
“News?” Maz asked.  
“Oh no, no Shuttle, guess we can’t go.” Hux sighed getting up himself and dusting himself down.  
Laughing and putting her little hands on her hips Maz replied. “Of course I have your shuttle, that was easy.”  
Rose was tempted to hug Maz.  
“But…how?” Hux asked dumbfounded. Maz Kanata was definitely an interesting person, whatever her species she was. “You couldn’t possible get hold of a shuttle so easily, there would have thorough security checks and, oh no, tracking devices, The First Order will be here any minute!”  
Walking over to the much taller red haired man, Maz looked up at him and adjusted her large googles which covered her eyes so she could look more closely at Hux, As she did so, Hux tried to take a step back, but Maz took hold of the sleeve of his shirt.  
“You have no faith in people do you? You’re a man who has no faith in people or himself.” Maz asked.  
“I am here aren’t I?” Hux replied.  
“Yes, but for how long?” Maz said.  
“Maz…” Rose said stepped over to stand next to Hux. “Armitage is one of us.”  
“Is he?” Maz said looked at Rose and adjusting her googles. “Hopefully I'll be seeing that soon.” Waving her hand she turned and walked away, mumbling to herself as she did.  
Rose looked up at Hux. “Sorry. Maz is great but she’s…”  
“She’s an old Mynock.” Hux suggested.  
“Hey!” Smiling but hitting his arm gently. “She’s a good person, she’s just no nonsense and doesn’t easily warm to people...sometimes.”  
Hux looked over to where the Maz Kanata was. He didn’t much like it when people judged and second guessed him, especially people to whom were space pirates and had probably done unscrupulous things with no ambiguity when it came to stealing. This made Hux wondered, did he like this Maz Kanata, or was she another person to whom he would going to have to avoid?  
"Your going to love being on this mission with her." Rose said.  
"What?" Hux exclaimed.  
"Yeah...apparently she's coming us." Rose smiled sweetly, showing her teeth and trying to look lighthearted about the fact.  
There was no way Hux was going to be able to avoid Maz Kanata now...especially on a shuttle.

Jannah had to admit, The Millennium Falcon was a ship that she admired and respected, especially with all the stories that Lando Calrissian and Chewbacca The Wookiee had told her, but she was hoping to have had some time away from it before she was off on a mission again. Having had her freedom with her fellow former stormtroopers on Kef Bir, where for the first time in their lives they were capable of doing what they wanted and going where the pleased, being confined to a ship again was frustrating.  
Walking into the cockpit of the Falcon she went to fo check on Lando and their progress. Lando knew a nephew of one the Hutt’s who had broken away from his family and was living on a moon near Cyrillia.  
Having spent time with Lando and knowing that for all of his swash-buckling stories, he was not the man he often told her about, something he had said before they had arrived on Dom-Bradden that had worried her and stuck with her was one of the reasons she was checking up on him. Though she hadn’t said anything to Finn or Chewbacca, she was concerned about Lando.  
Sat in the Captain sit of the cockpit, looking to the star lines of hyperspace, Lando looked tired and restless. Hearing the door open Lando turned himself around to face her.  
“Hello young Lady. Coming to watch the view?” Lando chuckled.  
Smiling and taking the co-pilot seat next to him Jannah could see he had been last in thoughts and stories of the past, thought he looked more tired, the lines on his face had become more pronounced and his eyes not as bright.  
“How’s it going Captain Calrissian?” Jannah asked.  
Taking a deep breath Lando smiled at her. “I’m alright…just old is all.”  
“Old? You, never, the man, the myth, never.” Jannah chuckled.  
Leaning back in his chair and turning away from Jannah to look at outside Lando was silent a moment, thoughts running through his mind.  
“Jannah…after this I’m going to stay on base.” Lando told her. “This war, its taken so much its starting to…”  
Jannah put a hand on his shoulder for support. Lando placed his hand on top of hers as thanks but continued to look outside.  
“I’ve had plenty adventures on his ship, seen some crazy things across the galaxy.” Lando said whimsically. Smiling to himself, he looked at Jannah. “You remind so much of all the young people I’ve known and…think lately it's just hitting me that there’s just me and Chewy left now.”  
Even though she wanted to say something to make him feel better, she knew it was true. He made jokes about how slow he was and how tired he had been while they had been away but underneath it all he had been saying was truthful.  
“Promise me something Jannah.” Lando said , gently squeezing her hand.  
“What’s that Captain?”  
“You give them hell and you make sure you win this battle.” Lando told her passionately.  
“Captain.” Jannah said, sitting up straight. “You have my absolute word I will.”  
Lando smiled and laughed. He wished Jannah had had a better life, she grown up within The Stormtrooper programme, stolen from her family, but she had escaped, become a fighter, a leader, he hoped one day she know a peaceful quiet life, and never have to pick up a blaster or her energy bow again. All he could do was hope and do what little he could.

Nighttime came again and Ben could not sleep.  
All of his dreams were now the same, always the same thing over and over again, ever since that last day.  
Rey dying and the pain.  
If it wasn’t bad enough he had to still live with the pain, he had to revisited it every night in his dreams.  
Laying there Ben covered his eyes with his sweaty palms and yelled out into the darkness grey and soullessness of his quarters. The anger inside of Ben was bubbling up again and he had to do something.  
Sitting up his bed, he fling his legs over the side and sat himself up straight, growling loudly as he did so in frustration.  
Closing his eyes Ben reached out with the force and allowed the full potency of the darkness into himself. The overpowering feeling of both burning hot and cold, feeling as if his skin and blood was about to boil and freeze, causing Ben to feel as his body was about to burst out of his skin.  
Seeking the darkness he tried to cover himself in it, wanted it to do its work and take him over and make him forget everything that had been and was, allow some sort of as-semblance of peace for once.  
As he become one with the darkness he felt weightless, he felt he was among the stars and was looking out into a vast endlessness of space.  
Ben felt peace, not whole but a small piece that would shut everything up.  
Opening his eyes, sweat run down Ben’s shirtless chest but his breathing was steady, his brown eyes not burnt red but glowing amber. Knowing he was not going to able to sleep anymore that night he rose and walked over to his desk to continue reading from the archives he had taken from the ruins of Exogal, which he had taken without letting Pryde know, there were he wanted to find out away from the Cultist Admiral.  
So far he been unable to find anything about Dyad in the texts.  
Reaching down he took one of old the books that was next in his pile, all of them were faded, their binding frayed and worn, not from reading but time, some were beyond the realms of readable with their faded texts, which was unsurprising given they were 10 to 20 thousand or more years old, written in various languages mixed together, some dead, some altered and some Sith. These books wrote of a time of Darkness before anything else.  
Ben had found a way to read some of the books but not easily. The person/persons who had put ink to parchment had been calling upon the darkside as their words were written, the imprint of them was within the pages, burning and strong. There was so much anger within some of them.  
Ben closed his eyes and opened the book, not to the start but to wherever the darkside willed him to go to. Placing his hand on the page he breathed in deeply and felt the emotions that flew out off the book. At first it was a gabbled to whisper and shouting, in various languages, nothing he could define or understand, even with the limited knowledge he had learned under Snoke of Sith he couldn’t grasp the words.  
Then Ben paused, he felt a tingle of heat in his fingers and the words started to become clear and voice the spoke in what sounded like that of a young child.  
“ _The eachotherness of the one holds the key to each other, without the other there can be no light and there could be no dark. Without the otherness of the one, the other will die. Dåed’s are the power of the wills…”_  
Pulling his hand away from the page and looking down at the writing, though faded and unreadable he looked more closely at the page and could see the ink used was not as dark as the other, it was different shade, it was red.  
Blood.  
It was written in blood.  
Starring at his palms he could still feel the tingling feeling the book had given him. If it was written in blood, who’s blood?  
Taking another breath he put his hand back on the book and closed his eyes. Instantly he felt the power and the of the book, but this time he saw images in flesh before, as if someone had thrown them at him.  
“… _which there no be no control of. Killing eachother over and over will always be the cycle of the Dåed, never to be broken. The dark will kill the light, the light will kill the dark. Tonight I killed my light, he died my hand in my arms and I wrote this in his blood. The cycle will began again and we will see each other in the next life, and the next, and the next. I will kill or be killed. This is the Wills…”_  
Letting go of the book Ben let it drop to the floor.  
This was his fate, his and Rey’s, to live and to die like this. Even though the cycle had changed, he knew it had to be true.  
Even when Ben had turned back to the Light to help Rey, it had not lasted.  
Maybe that was will of the Force, neither could ever turn each other, it was their fate.  
“I am going to die.” Ben said aloud.  
The only thing he wondered was would he ever see Rey again….just once, for just a moment.

Standing in the early morning sunlight, his hair a fresh morning mess and his stubble growing ever more wild, Poe looked out across the sea of sleeping ships in The Resistance’s docks, all in various states of age and battle worn.  
In the few days they had been on Dom-Bradden they had had dozen of families leaving, saying they were going to try to find somewhere in Wild Space or The Unknown Regions to hide away from The First Order. Poe had tried to reason with them, not because he was worried that their numbers were decreasing, he knew they were in danger, The First Order was out there and anyone who had any connection to The Resistance was not going to be handled with kid gloves.  
Leia…I wish you were here. Poe thought to himself as he watched one of his childhood friends Xexk Rigon and his family start to leave. Poe’s Twi’lek friend turned around, holding his youngest daughter in his arms and his other carrying a bag, he gave Poe a nod. Trying not to show his true feeling, Poe nodded back and waved, Xexk young daughter waved back at him, causing Poe having to turn away, feeling his chest hurt with emotions.  
The Rigon family broaded there YT-2500 battered ship and begun to leave Dom-Bradden.  
Looking up at the moving sky Poe mumbled to himself, thinking about his friends on their separate missions. “Guys I hope you both find what you’re looking for and come back with news….but I just hope you come back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dåed = Dyad. (I'm just being fancy with the words).


	9. An Old Friend, An Old Enemy.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still building.

Cyrillia was every inch as much of hole space as Lando had warned them.  
Chewbacca laid them all down the ramp from the Falcon the the the industrial planet, all around them nearby and in the distance were hung factories and mining plants, producing vast amounts of smoke, gas and pollutes, all in the name of harvesting chemicals for cheap burner fuels. Planets like Cyrillia were slowly dying out, the danger and the destruction the fuels caused to ships far out weighed their product value.  
Lando, Jannah, Finn and Chewbacca placed there oxygen makes over their months and walked towards where Lando said his Hutt friend lived.  
“Tell me again why he lives here?” Finn asked and they entered into the yellowy smoke and pollution of their destination.  
Waling ahead of them with his stylish cane, Lando took a moment to look at his young friend, seeing he held the same dislike he did. “Why for the atmosphere.” He laughed. “Meelkei left the Hutt family of his own free will, but The Hutt’s have still been trying to kill him for the best part of 30 years. Cyrillia is a place you only go to hide or disappear.”  
“Why?” Jannah asked, trying to look at Land through the smoke.  
“No reason, The Hutt’s tend to try to kill each other the same way you hug someone.” Lando shrugged. Over the years he tried to keep his distance from the Hutt’s, their way of business was far more violent and scummy than he wanted to deal when running Cloud City.  
Chewbacca grumbled at Lando and tried to crouch his body down to keep his head away from the rising smoke.  
“True but Meelkei as far I know doesn’t deal with gangsters anymore, not since he left.” Lando pointed out.  
Talking back to Lando, Chewbacca didn’t sound convinced.  
Finn didn’t like it and could see, rather understand, Chewbacca reservations. “Do you trust him? If he doesn’t deal with The Hutt’s and gangsters how will know about the cloning.”  
“Finn,” Lando stopped and turned to Finn. “Trust me, your’ll see soon enough.”  
After walking a way further, the came to a reenforced metal hatch on the ground, which Chewbacca leant down and pulled open easily with one massive hairy arm. Upon opening it revealed a ladder leading down. Everyone looked at each other, seeing who wanted to go first. Rolling her eyes, Jannah walked over and begun down, followed by Lando, then Finn with Chewy following closing the hatch behind him.  
Despite being underground and further away from the smoke and polluntion of above, the air was only marginally better and clearer to see through. Scanning around them in the dimly light tunnel before Fin could see pipes along the walls and ceiling, curious of them he went to go and touch one before a hairy hand grabbed his and stopped him.  
“I wouldn’t touch that. It’ll either be burning hot or freezing cold, either it’ll leave you with a memory of this place.” Lando warned him.  
“Right.” Finn nodded, stepping away from the pipes.  
Walking alongside the pipes cautiously Lando begun to lead them further south, which Jannah realised would take them away from the main area of where in the distance she had seen the large complex of factories.  
After a short while they same to another hatch, which Lando knocked on loudly with his cane. There came nothing from the other side but silence.  
Turning to Chewbacca, Lando nodded him over to knock for them.  
With both powerful hairy arms, Chewbacca banged on the hatch, causing the clanging echo of the metal throughout the tunnel and stinging their eardrums.  
Finally, there was a turning of the hatch and it was flinging open to reveal a heavy weaponised creature holding a overly large doubled barrelled battle blaster wearing goggles, a waistcoat and smoking a large pipe.  
‘Meeklie!” Lando laughed stepping in front of everyone and raising his arms in greetings.  
Lifting up his goggles to show his huge eyes and stepping forward in the dim light there stood a orange and brown shaded Hutt who was much smaller in size and mass than most of his kind, his slug-like body was slim and muscular as were his arms, positioning his self upwards with his tail, he was almost as tall as Chewbacca, though oddest things in his appearance was the size of his head, it was far large and than the rest of him. Taking his pipe out his mouth the Hutt’s smiled widely on his broad large lips.  
“Calrissian!” Meelkei yelled. He threw his large battle blaster behind and shoved it away with the end of his tail and leaned over and gave Lando a hug, his small arms only being able to reach so far around him.  
“How longs it been?” Lando asked laughing.  
“How’s many brains cells does a Rancor have? Who knows! But it’s been too long!” Meelkei laughed, his voice sounded gravely and raw as he spoke. Of his kind not many never bothered to learn and speak basic, preferring other to do it for them. Meelkei was far removed his kind.  
Noticing those behind Lando he took them in with his large eyes. Spotting Chewbacca, he laughed. and seemed to touch happily on his tail and laugh. “Chewbacca The Wookiee! Thought you’d retired!”  
Chewbacca shrugged and roared his response, sounding as if he would that would of been the case if things were different.  
“Your just in time for lunch!” Meelkei yelled happily. “Come in, come in!”  
Moving asides he allowed everyone to go past him into his home, both Finn and Jannah tried to not step on the Hutt’s tail, that seemed to not stopping moving, flipping back, forth and everywhere around Meelkei.  
Inside of what was Meelkei Hutt was a hoarder's dream. All around them from the pipes and low ceiling were various rich colours of silk blankets/sheet, beneath and next to were golden statues, golden vases, golden trinkets from small to large, all of it looked as it from far and wide in the Galaxy. Lining the far wall was rows and rows of blasters and heavy duty weaponry.  
Pushing his guests over to the nearest corner to where there were crates laid around he waved with his small hands at them to seat. All took a seat except Chewbacca, who upon not finding a crate sat on the floor, grumbling as he did so.  
Shuffling his body along, with his tail flicking away as he did so, Meelkei disappeared around one the largest crate and started to make banging and clanging noises. Each noise grew louder and louder, with the Ex-gangster whistling as he did so and those sitting wincing at the sound of each bang.  
Before Finn could open his mouth to ask Lando a question, Meelkei appeared from around the Crate, carrying bowls in one hand and one large bowl in the other. He handed each one a small misshapped bowl and then placed the large bowl on the floor, showing inside were a host of various insect like creatures trying to climb out for their lives.  
Staring confused, Jannah wanted to ask her host what they were before them, when Meelkei tail swung his tail around, grabbed one of the creatures with it, then crushed it by wrapping his tail round it and squeezing it.  
Shaking it to ensure it was definitely dead, Meelkei smiled and pushed his tail around his guests, with the now decreased lunch and asked. “Who’s hungry?”  
Both Finn and Jannah looked at each other in horror before shaking their heads wildly and saying no, no, no thank you.  
Shrugging at his guest lack of appetite, Meelkei moved his tail back to himself and thrown the lunch in his wide open ready mouth. After a moment of brief chewing, Meelkei gave a large burp, which Chewbacca felt the full force of, as he hair was pushed back from the effect.  
“Meelkei.” Lando said, learning forward, trying to maintain his balance as he did so. “Old friend I need a favour.”  
Turning to Lando, Meelkei face changed, he become thoughtful and still. Exhaling he used his tale and picked up the bowl containing the rest of the moving creatures and thrown them all into his mouth, chewing loudly as he did so.  
Finishing his lunch Meelkei leant back on his tail and said. “If it's to get involved and fight in your war friend, I can’t help you.”  
“No,” Lando said. “No, fighting not what we need, its information.”  
“Information?” Meelkei his interest stirring.  
“You keep track of the a lot of things that go in the Galaxy still don’t you?” Lando asked.  
“Of course! Only way I can make sure my family doesn’t find my tail and try to fry it!” Meelkei laughed.  
“We need to know about cloning Meelkei.” Lando said.  
“Why you want another Lando in the Galaxy?” Meelkei laughed. “Thought one was bad enough.”  
Jannah fidgeted on her crated before she spoke. “We're looking to find out who’s been active on the cloning market in the last 2-3 years.”  
Meelkei large features formed into a tight frown as he looked at the girl before him. “That’s a broad and strange question.”  
“The First Order has been creating a clone army it looks like.” Lando explained. “Jannah,” pointing towards Jannah, “and I found an open contract from the First Order asking for someone to provide a clone army from two years ago, we also found a closing of the contract. We need to find out who filled the contract and where they are?”  
Meelkei big amber eyes opened wider and leant back further on his tail. Shaking his head Meelkei responded after a moment. “My friend, cloning is a long dead industry. The Empire destroyed all the manufacturing after The Clone Wars, there hasn’t been anyone to do with it since.”  
“So you never heard anything to with this contract?” Lando asked. “It was pretty big pay load for the job.”  
Sighing Meelkei looked at his group of guests.  
“Lando…I’m not as well heeled and informed as I used to be.” Meelkei sighed.  
Finn asked. “Did you hear anything about anyone buying equipment need for manufacturing clones?”  
Turning to face his guest Meelkei raised his small hands up in. “My friends I don’t know anything about cloning.”  
Chewbacca growled and roared behind them, slightly his head to the side accusingly.  
“What?” Meelkei, pushing himself up onto this tall. “How dare you come to my house and say I’m lying.”  
Stepping towards Meelkei Chewbacca roared.  
Next to him Jannah grabbed Chewbacca arms and tried to stop him.  
Standing in front of Chewbacca the Hutt placed his hand on his sides angrily and sneered at Chewbacca, who bared his teeth at him.  
Throughout Lando sat watching, he leant back and looked at the two in their stand off.  
Both Finn and Jannah stood up and went to stand behind Chewbacca, in case Chewbacca was in need of any help.  
In a flash of an eye, Meelkei flipped his tail, stretched it out behind him and used it to grab of one his battle blasters, swinging it round and throwing it into his short stubby arms, to where he pointed it directly at Chewbacca, who grabbed his own blaster from his side and pointed at Meelkei. Jannah and Finn, slightly less gracefully than Chewbacca and Meelkei, fumbled with their blasters into their hands and pointed at Meelkei.  
All four of them pointed their weapons, ready.  
Meelkei narrowed his eyes and growled.  
Chewbacca widen his and roared.  
Lando sat watching, rolling his eyes.  
Out of nowhere Meelkei smiled and throw his weapon up, where his tail grabbed it and placed it back against the wall. Clapping his hands together, Meelkei laughed loudly.  
Slowly Chewbacca did the same, though not laughing. Jannah and Finn just looked at each other confused.  
“Oh friends,” Meelkei continued to laugh, “its been so long since I had a good stand out, how I’ve missed it.”  
Lando stood and walked over to Meelkei, his eyebrows raised. “Meelkei, we need to know.”  
Ceasing his laughter, folding his arms over his chest, Meelkei nodded at Lando. “My friend, I don’t think what I will tell you will be to your liking.”  
“Try us.” Finn interjected, Chewbacca nodded next to him.  
Sighing, Meelkei leant back on his tail and looked down at his floor. “I was hearing things about 2 years ago, rumbles and whispers about an army being created from nothing. Lots of people talking, but then no-one talking.” Looking up at Lando he smiled weakly. “I admit, I was just being nosey, I didn’t know who or what was involved.”  
Nodding, Lando back down. “Go on.”  
“I don’t know much about cloning, I guess no-one really does, only if you need to.” Meelkei started. “I knew it wasn’t The Hutt’s, not what they do, too scientific, but I knew eventually they would find out and I guess I just like to be ahead of them as much as I can. First of all, there wasn’t a trace of anything to find, whoever The First Order hired they were clever. Whatever materials they were using wasn't traceable and couldn’t be monitored by any networks I have. So I started looking into who still held love for The Empire and who would want to work for Grandchildrens of The First Order.”  
“Who would that be?” Jannah said wanting Meelkei to push forward.  
“Black Sun.” Meelkei said.  
Chewbacca roared and looked at Lando.  
Lando shook his head and frowned. “My friend, Black Sun are gone, have been for a long time, The Republic and Han Solo took out the last fraction of their syndicate, everyone was arrested and taken out of action.”  
Meelkei shrugged his stubby shoulders. “What do you want me to say Lando? You think The Republic did such a good job of getting rid of people when they were the very one who let The First Order raise up and take over?”  
Thinking Finn tried to remember what he knew about the Black Sun, mainly stories that some of the older pilots had told them, General Organa and Poe talking about their end, nothing within those stories added up to cloning. “Black Sun aren’t cloners or scientists, they're a crime operation.”  
“Exactly!” Meelkei yelled throwing his arms up. “Who would think they were cloners!”  
Everyone looked at each other unsurely.  
“Where have they been operating from?” Jannah asked.  
“Ahhh.” Meelkei hummed looking down.  
“Meelkei?” Lando said, knowing he was holding back.  
“There two places I know, one, I wouldn’t go for all the credits in his galaxy or the next, and the other is only better by a wampa backside hair.” Meelkei said shaking his head.  
“Where?” All four of them, Chewbacca included asked.  
“Mustafar and Mandalore.” Meelkei said looking at them all. “Two place in the Galaxy that have seen far too much ruin and death. I sent a few of my spies there to check it for me, report back…I never heard from them again…they had never failed me before.”  
“Are you sure of these places?” Lando asked. “Mandalore is a dead planet, no-one goes there anymore, its destroyed and barely breathable. And Mustafar…that was Vader’s planet.”  
Nodding at Lando Meelkei. “What better place to build armies in the ruins of a once great people and on a planet that the Darkest Lord of The Sith once called home?”


	10. All Of This And Nothing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Man, Ben, dude, I'd proper give you a hug and I bloody hate hugging people and that was even before the pandemic.

All day Ben had been feeling listless and angry.  
Catching a glimpse of himself from his mirror inside his grey and black quarters he could see himself changing, not just the growth of his facial hair which he forgotten to cut days ago and the fact his hair was growing longer and more wild, no it was way his skin was much paler, then there was the fact the where his eyes had been white were red, his eyes now dark deep-set circles. Though he was still muscular and still strong within his body, his face was beginning to look gaunt.  
Growling at himself, he reached out his hand and used the force to break his mirror.  
He didn’t care, his body was just a vessel, his strength was within his power in the darkside and the fuel it gave him, even though it was eating away at his body.  
Ben thought back to the first time he had seen Snoke and then Palpatine, how their bodies were being corrupted by the darkside, how he was going down this path with ease.  
Walking over to his bed, Ben felt bone tired and worn, if he could just close his eyes and sleep, pretend everything was a nightmare, that things had been different, he would but even in his dreams there was no peace.  
There could be no peace for the wicked.  
“Your Highness.” Pryde voice came in through the intercom from the wall on the other side of his room. “I have something for you which I think you’ll be most pleased to see.”  
Sighing and standing up, Ben answered. “What is it?”  
“I do think you should see it for your self your highness.” Pryde pushed.  
“Very well.” Ben said, he could only imagine that it could be something to do with catching the Resistance or chasing down traitors to The First Order that had Pryde was so insistent that he come.  
Walking down the corridors of the Obliterator he ignored everyone and everything, nobody there was of importance to him, the stormtroopers with their helmets might as well be clones already, they moved and function as if underneath there was no human inside of them.  
Sitting waiting patiently in his office behind his large black sharp edge desk was Pryde, he almost seemed happy and smiled, a gleam was in his pale blue eyes. Walking straight over Ben stood in front of the desk and looked at Pryde unimpressed.  
“What is it?” Ben asked sharply.  
Standing up his desk, Grand Admiral Pryde walked around his desk to the other side of his office into the corner where a figure in a red cloak stood perfectly still, their face and body covered head to toe.  
“Your highness.” Pryde started and he stood next to the person and smiled. “I took the liberty of creating something which I think will be of much to your liking.”  
Turing to face Pryde and the figure Ben felt something flicker within himself.  
Next to Pryde the person slowly lifted up both their hands to remove their hood, so that it could fall behind their head and allow their long chestnut hair to fall down the side of their face.  
Beaming Pryde smiled. “I had the liberty of taking a small sample of her DNA before she was interred on Naboo. Using some of the new cloning technology her growth was excellerated, I thought it would be a much longer-“  
“Shut up!” Ben shouted angrily.  
Slowly Ben walked over to the person, his breath was caught in his throat and he could feel small tremors throughout his body. He could not take his eyes off their eyes, he had regretted so much that he couldn’t have looked more much into those eyes, at the green and golden honey hues in them and how they were so perfectly shaped. Only a metre away from them Ben wanted to reach out his hand and touch their face, to feel the warmth of their body, instead of the memory he had of holding their cold lifeless body.  
“Rey…” Ben said, almost feeling his knees buckle but steading himself.  
Smiling their perfect white teeth back she responded with. "My Emperor.”  
It was gone. The magic moment Ben thought that Rey was back, that she was really before him and had returned him, through some fate or somehow. Slowly, like a rippling of a tide, Ben could feel the anger inside of him growing, a hot burning anger.  
Seeing the way Ben breathing was changed and how he looked at the girl in front of him with daggers, Pryde went to speak but he found he was unable to, as an invisible grip was now holding on his throat and squeezing.  
Without blinking Ben continued to stare at the girl in front of him, he could see the freckles that dusted along her nose and below her eyes, he could see that there was a tiny scar below her right eye, just like Rey had. Staring he could almost believe it was her, but it wasn’t, he could sense this person before him was his far removed from Rey, they were not the part of his soul that was entombed on Naboo.  
Slowly Pryde face was turning an unnatural shade of red, his fingers desperately grabbing at his neck to try and move away the killing invisible hand.  
Through gritted teeth and fury like he had never had, Ben said, whilst still staring at the girl. “You dare to do this without my permission. You dare to try and-“  
“Ben stop.” The girl in the red cloak said, stepping closer to him and reaching to touch his arm.  
From the sound of her voice, so similar to Rey’s Ben stopped his choking of Pryde and shook as the girl’s gentle hand touched him.  
Taking a deep breath and steadying himself Ben could only barely whisper. “You are not her, you are not Rey.”  
“I am not her.” The girl said gently. “I am whatever you want me to be.”  
Pryde was leaning over desperately trying to catch his breath. “She…is…like…her in…everyway.”  
Swallowing Ben looked down at the girl, at her lips and curve of her neck. “In everyway.” He whispered.  
“Yes…” She breathed stepping closer.  
Something inside of Ben felt as if it was reborn and filled with joy, another part of Ben only felt anger, he knew what stood before him was created from cloning and that she more than likely had been programmed somehow to be like Rey but he couldn’t accept it. The girl was not Rey, she was not his equal in the force.  
She was not force sensitive.  
All she was, was a shell, a husk of Rey.  
“I feel nothing from you.” Ben said as he stood himself taller and he glared at her. “You are not a part of the force.”  
Still with a steady strong gaze she looked directly at Ben. “No, I am not.”  
“Then you are no use to me.” Ben said angrily. He turned to move her arm away from him and to leave. But instead she grabbed his other arm, so she was forcibly in front of Ben and holding him there.  
“I am more use to you than you care to wish.” She said firmly. “You are a leader, an Emperor, you will rule the Galaxy, you need someone to be there for you and with you.”  
Leaning in angrily towards her face Ben hissed. “You are a clone, you an entity of nothing. You are less than nothing.”  
With slow ease she moved closer to Ben’s face, so their noses were practically touching and said in slow even tone. “I am yours though.”  
She was his. The thought grew into his mind. She belonged to him, she was his. This girl, though not connected to the force and for accounts was like any other person that lived in the Galaxy, was his and would not leave him or be taken from him.  
Not Rey. She could never be Rey.  
But she was here…she here with him and wanted to be with him.  
Loneliness was all Ben had known for so long. Loneliness had been his companion for so long that he had given up hope there was anything else for him. It had gotten worse when he had killed Snoke, no longer a voice in his head and no longer did he have to guard and hide his thoughts and feeling. But that day when he had interrogated Rey on Starkiller Base and he had felt something for the first time…a light at the end of all his loneliness.  
Deep down Ben knew it was a lie, this girl was a lie, she was a lie, all of it was a lie.  
As if touching the most precious and delicate thing in the galaxy Ben nervously reached out to touch the girl’s face, shaking as he did so. A hunger grew inside of him as he moved slowly closer, he was desperate to know how she felt like, was she as soft and flawless to touch as he dreamed?  
The girl closed her eyes and leaned into his hand as it came to touch her cheek.  
Ben’s breath was caught in his throat as he felt her skin on his hand. Never before had he felt something so smooth, soft, clean and pure to touch.  
It was a lie.  
But it was such a good lie.  
With a grace and with a look that can only be described as devotion, the girl moved her own hands up to touch his one hand on her face and caress it. Then she turned her face so she kissed the palm of his hand.  
The sole thought in Ben’s head was that no-one had ever done that.  
Eyes still closed, the girl gave a breathy happy sigh causing Ben to swallow.  
Rey. Rey. Rey. Rey. Ben thought as his body shuddered and he kept his eyes fixed on the girl. Rey. Rey. Rey. Rey. You have understand…you have to understand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All Of This And Nothing - Soulsavers and Dave Gahan.


	11. Domino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm frustrating myself with the pace I'm taking, literally like I feel come-on you silly moo.

This was absolutely ridiculous.  
How had this happened? Hux wondered to himself as found another web and another lizard nest under his seat inside the cockpit of their stolen Imperial shuttle.  
Rose, Hux and Maz had taken one of the smaller ships from the Resistance base on Dom-Bradden, traveled to a Jungle moon planet somewhere in the Mid-Rim sector (Maz telling Hux he didn’t know to everything, just what was necessary), to where they left that ship, walked for a half day and were to wait for Maz’s “friends” to arrive with their stolen Imperial shuttle.  
Though Hux had tried, genuinely tried, to not moan, the heat, the insects, the lack of information had truly gotten to him and he had yelled at Maz to tell him what was happening, when from behind a giant multiple eyed large green spindly legged insect with reptile like body and wirey hairs covering it had came out in front of him, hissing angrily.  
Left speechless Hux had backed away but the newly arrived visitor grabbed him and lifted him off the ground by his shoulder, using two of it long legs to clasping on to him.  
Shaking her head at it all, Max walked over to the creature and begun yell at it. “Put him down! He’ll only make yourself sick!”  
All of it eyes looked at Max Kannata and hissed a response, shaking Hux like a child’s soft toy as it did so.  
“Yes, he is loud and he does take up too much oxygen.” Max agreed with the creature. “But I need him, so can you please put it down your Highness.”  
Looking at Hux’s face burning red, his sweat damp hair running down his face and he stopped struggling, seeing he was being watched, he stilled and held his breath.  
The creature gave one last hiss and let him go by simply dropping him on to the ground.  
From the shock of what happened Hux sat down on his backside with his legs stretched out in front on him in a daze for a moment, before he jumped back on to his feet and tried to walk calmly to stand beside Rose, who grabbed his arm and checked him over quickly and then placed herself in front of him, protectively.  
Noticing Rose’s behaviour Hux was shocked but then found himself feeling appreciative.  
Walking her short little legs over to the creature that had released Hux, Max stood in front of it with her hands on her hips. Looking up at it, she focused her goggles for a moment before smiling at it. “I was hoping I’d see you your Highness. It’s been too long.”  
Watching the exchange Rose frowned. “Max never stops amazing me.”  
“Hmm.” Hux said looking down at Rose. “Amazing isn’t the word I’d use..down right maddening is more like it.”  
Using her elbow Rose lightly poked Hux in the ribs.  
The creature spoke to Maz in much more gentler hisses and clicks for a moment before Maz lowered her head down in a curtsey, to the creature and who then turned back into the jungle and was away in a flash.  
With the creature gone, Hux stepped out from behind Rose, he opened his mouth to say something but Max raised her hand to stop him.  
“You were disturbing her babies.” Max said angrily. “Queen Pitkia would have pulled you to pieces and fed you to her babies if I hadn’t stopped her.”  
“Wha-“ Hux exclaimed,  
“Your welcome.” Max said with a wave of her hand as she continued to move on in the same direction they had originally been heading into the jungle.  
Motionless Hux stood for a second wondered what had just happened.  
Patting him on the shoulder, Rose told him to keep moving and he followed, this time being much more quiet and keeping his eyes much more open to his surroundings and anymore giant creatures that would try to feed him to their children.  
They continued to walked through the jungle undergrowth, trying not to lose Maz in the foliage that engulfed her, before long they arrived into a clearing where their stolen shuttle waited.  
Holding his breath Hux stopped himself saying what his first thought been to say, knowing full well that the Pirate Queen would likely tell him off for doing so, however Rose was the one which voiced her opinion.  
“TH-AT is the shuttle?” Rose exclaimed stopping in her tracks. “Its-its looks likes its been inside a Sarlacc for the last two decades!”  
Good analogy. Hux thought as he walked ahead to look more closely.  
The once sleek black and chrome shuttle had dents and blaster scars all over it, with a large amount of looked like rust and moss growing on the cockpit window and cannons.  
Walking out of the shuttle came five Ugnaughts dressed in worn and dirty dungrees, with fifthy faces all over their porcine humanoids features. Moving towards them, Maz was either taller or the same height as them. One of the Ugnaughts gave Maz a hug and waved over at Hux and Rose to come over.  
As Hux and Rose walked closer, they could see that the shuttle was not just as bad as it looked, it was worse.  
“Where did you get this shuttle from?” Hux said, trying to see if he could see any characteristics of where it was made, when he realised exactly what type of shuttle it was. “This shuttle is from The Supreme Leaders personal fleet! How did you manage to get hold of it?”  
“Ha!” Came a rusty laughing voice exiting the ship.  
Everyone turned to look at the new arrival, who was an elderly Weequay wearing a colourful cloak and with jewels covering the tips of the few brownish wrinkled spikes around his face and head, with bejeweled small goggles and walking with a elaborate gold cane, which looked as if it was designed with his face on the tip. Stopping at the bottom of the ramp the Weequey took in his customers and smiled. “In my line of work you can buy anything! Isn’t that right Maz?”  
“Hmm.” Maz replied, arms crossed over her chest. “You still owe me for the that shipment of Tarisian Ale.”  
“But Maz, you got a very good deal!” The Weequay exclaimed.  
“Its was gutter fuel, not ale.” Maz said walked over to him and waving her finger at him.  
With Maz in front of him, pointing her finger and looking furious, the Weequay looked around for the five Ugnaughts, who stood behind him and all shrugging their small shoulder as response..  
“Maz, Maz, Maz.” He laughed. “That was so long ago, that was the old Hondo, I’m respectable now.”  
“Respectable?” Maz chuckled. “And I’m a Wookie’s Uncle.”  
“You’re a Wookiee’s Uncle?” He said excited, missing the Maz’s joke. “I have a good deal at the moment for Wookiee hats and scarves at the moment!”  
Rose and Hux both turned to look at eachother, the confusion on what was going on and who this person was showed on their faces.  
Leaning next to Rose’s ear Hux whispered. “I am just letting you know that I think this is a bad idea.”  
“Noted.” Rose replied.  
Shaking her head, Maz decided not to explain to Hondo that she wasn’t a Wookiee’s Uncle. She had to remind herself that Hondo was a lot of things, unreliable and selfish but he owed The Resistance and was a willing aid in their cause.  
Noticing Rose and Hux standing behind Maz, the elderly Weequay raised his arms in an over the top gesture. “Greeting new Resistance/Rebel friends! Let me introduce my self.” Walking past Maz, Hondo moved over to Rose and Hux, the Ugnaughts followed behind, one of the pulling out a flute like instrument which they begun to play.  
“My friends, “ he started, resting on his cane and two of the Ugnaughts from behind him pulled his cloak out behind him, making the elderly Weequar look smaller and ridiculous, all the other Ugnaughts stood beside him, the one playing his instrument stood right next to Hondo. “Let me introduce myself, I am Hondo Ohnaka, legendary pirate, smuggler, businessman, some call me King Hondo”, a small chuckle from two of Ugnaughts behind him, which Hondo ignored, “which you can also do if you like, but I am first and foremost a friend to the Resistance and adventurer, crusader for good.”  
“Ohh really now?” Maz said rolling her eyes. “You’ve been so helpful to the Resistance for the last 2 years.”  
“Well…as you know Maz, there’s helping and then there’s helping.” Hondo said, looking back at Maz and trying not to fell over his cloak.  
Turning to look at eachother, then back to Hondo, Rose and Hux couldn’t decide what to say.  
“Please. tell me your names my friends. “ Hondo said to Rose and Hux.  
“Well…” Rose said. “I am Rose Tico and this is-“  
“Flip Jonji.” Hux said quickly changing his accent from his very formal basic accent and making his voice sound similar to Poe Dameron, stepping in front of Rose he offered Hondo his hand to shake. “Very pleased to meet you sir…yes we are.” His accent seemed to be strangled out his throat as he put on a toothy smile in the process.  
Taking the hand in a handshake but grasping it at the wrong angle and shaking it too hard so that Hondo jewels shook. “Hello Flip, you must be the pilot that’ll be flying the shuttle.”  
“No….that’ll be me.” Rose said firmly from behind.  
“Oh course, of course.” Hondo laughed, still shaking Hux’s hand.  
Sighing Maz looked at the Shuttle, it wasn’t in the condition she would have liked but it was going to work. Rubbing her hand on her chin she took in what needed to be done. Everything that needed doing had to be done in quick time if they were going to make it to Gree within a timeframe that worked for the Resistance.  
“Ojjika.” Maz called to one of the Ugnaughts holding Hondo’s cape. He turned around and snorted a reply of what to Maz. “What is Hondo paying you?”  
Shrugging his shoulder he snorted a unimpressed reply to Maz.  
Laughing at his answer, Maz folded her arms over her chest and smiled. “I’ll double that if you're all willing to come work for me.”  
Hearing what Maz was saying Hondo stopped shaking Hux’s hand, which Hux was glad for, pulling back his hand and rubbing it from the exercise Hondo had given it. “Maz…what are you doing?” Hondo asked.  
“Business Hondo.” Maz replied.  
All around him all of the Ugnaughts walked from Hondo to stand around Maz, the one who had been playing the flute threw it over their shoulder.  
“Maz, this is not business, this is unbusiness and we are not in the business of unbusiness, its not business when the business it not business-like.” Hondo said, trying to walk towards Maz and not fall on his cloak.  
Around Maz the Ugnaughts talked amongst themselves, whilst Maz continued to have her arms folded and looking at Hondo.  
“Old friend,” Maz smiled. “You know as well as I do when a business opportunity arises you must grab it by the Ugnaughts.”  
Learning over to Rose, Hux whispered. “What is going on?”  
“No idea Flip.” Rose answered watching Maz and Hondo.  
Tapping his cane on the floor Hondo looked at his now former employees. For a moment there was a stand off, before Hondo lowered his head and sighed. “What is you guys want?”  
A huge smiles were spread across the Ugnaughts, Ojjika who snorted and spoke his reply back, his co-workers around him nodding firmly as he did so.  
“What?” Hondo exclaimed. “But you already have 4 meals and 1 break, now you want your own beds each, a rise and a pension fund!”  
Hondo reached for his heart, gasping for breath, pretending to be in shook.  
Maz and Ojjika looked at eachother both saying at the same time. “Your heart is on the other side.” Which Hondo quickly corrected himself.  
“You ruin me.” Hondo exclaimed. “I have who has been nothing but good and kind to you.”  
One of the Ugnaughts used one of his gloved hands as a mock mouth piece imitating Hondo.  
Exhaling deeply and looking to the floor, Hondo was silent for a moment, causing Rose and Hux look at Maz and trying to get her attention to what was happening.  
“I…I will bow to your demands.” Hondo said.  
Around her all the Ugnaughts jumped up and down, high-fiving eachother and clapping. Maz and Ojjika smiled at eachother and gave eachother a small fist bump.  
“Good, now that’s all sorted.” Maz said clapping her hands together. “Ojjika, could you give the shuttle a clean up outside, we can do the inside.”  
The lead Ugnaughts nodded and waved at his companions to the shuttle, which they begun to climb up and to clean.  
Walking back over to Rose and Hux, Maz patted Hondo on the arm and said. “Always a pleasure Hondo.”  
Looking down at the floor, Hondo sighed. “Maz, you’re the only person in the Galaxy who does business the way you do.”  
Still wildly confused Rose and Hux starred at Maz.  
“What just happened?’ Hux asked.  
Shrugging her small shoulder Maz replied. “Ojjika is an old friend, meet him years ago on Bespin when he worked for Lando on Cloud City. He asked me to cut him and the others a better deal with Hondo and he was the one who found the shuttle for me, but we did business through Hondo, so the deal would work.”  
“But…” Rose frowned. “Why didn’t Ojjika just ask Hondo himself?”  
“Ha!” Maz laughed, which caused Hux to laugh also. “This is the way you do business with smugglers my dear, you out swindle and out think the person who you are doing business with, its the way of the Galaxy.”  
Just over one hour later, Rose and Hux were inside the shuttle and trying to rid the inside of the lizard nests and the very thick spider webs that were around the ship. Maz outside was paying Hondo and Ojjika, which Hondo, despite the deal being done, was still trying to argue the price and exclaim he had lost more than he made in the deal since his employees had been given pay-rises.  
Looking out at Maz from the cockpit of the shuttle Hux smiled and confessed to Rose. “I’m starting to like Maz…she’s still maddening but I’m starting to like her.”  
Over his shoulder Rose laughed. “I knew you’d come around.”

No-one wanted to go to Mustafar, the idea of going there was not even spoken, though that wasn’t to say they wouldn’t end up going there if they had to.  
Lando had told the young crew of the mission about Mandolore, saying he had never been there himself and had only met one actual Mandolorian before they vanished into legend and become a galactic tragic story of a once great culture who were destoryed from within and without.  
“Within 25 years Mandolore and its people had vanished. Han and I heard about a few mercenaries that could have been the remains of their culture but nobody knows.” Lando said finishing up his history lesson. “The armor the Mandalorians wore was called beskar and durasteel, very expensive but worth the price, brilliant for repelling blaster fire and apparently even lightsabers.”  
“Beskar…” Jannah mumbled. “I remember hearing that name before when I was a stormtrooper, I can’t remember why.”  
“Could of been The First Order planning to use for one their new weapons.” Lando offered. “But even The Empire couldn’t use it as well and as successfully as The Mandolorians.”  
“Why?” Finn asked.  
“Costs too much and in order to use it they were had to have someone who was a master smith.” Lando explained. “Which is a good thing, the last thing the Galaxy needs is an army with beskar and durasteel.”  
“Yeah, clones will do for now.” Jannah chuckled leaning back in her chair inside the Falcon.  
From the cockpit Chewbacca walked in and informed them that they leaving light speed and would be entering Mandolorian space.  
Fin and Jannah stood up and followed Chewbacca back into the cockpit. “Guess this is where we find out if there’s anyone there.”  
Lando stayed where he was for a moment, in his bones he felt tired and weary. He had told Jannah and Finn he would remain on The Falcon while they went, but he was starting to wish he had stayed on Dom-Bradden, to try and rest, let his body catch up with itself. It wasn’t lost on him that he was the only one left of his Rebel friends, the oldest of all of them, and the one who had for many years, had not been the decent man he had become in his old age. Having told the others about the vanished culture of the Mandolorians, Lando wondered if the Mandolorians had had any idea that their end was coming before it did?  
For Finn and Jannah, who as former-stormtroopers had all been based in windowless and viewless ships, shuttle and cruisers on their trainings and missions, the novelty of seeing new planets from above and below still fascinated them, Jannah more than Finn, who seen more than her in travels and misadventures with Poe. Despite their knowledge that Mandolore was a barron and inhospitable planet, seeing the unhealthy colour of the planet’s atmosphere still shocked both of them.  
As Meelkei had said it was the perfect place to build an army on the ruins of a once great people.  
Chewbacca and Jannah, from the front of cockpit as Captain and co-pilot (no-one offered to captain the Falcon since Rey), checked to see if they could get any reading of life forms, but she shook her head, finding nothing.  
“Its either interference from the atmosphere or there is not-a-thing down there.” Jannah said.  
Chewbacca told them he was going to try and land on where the chips computer told him was the former capital Sundari.  
“Sure that’s wise?” Jannah asked. “There could be anything down there and we wouldn’t be prepared.”  
Shrugging his shoulder, Chewbacca begun to enter the clouded and polluted atmosphere, asking Jannah where she thought they should go instead. Jannah read aloud the name of the different places the computer said were former cities or townships of the planet.  
“I don’t think they would build it anywhere near where anyone used to live.” Jannah said looking from the screen. “If you were going to build an entire army in secret, you’d build it somewhere in secret and away from anyone else.”  
“Makes sense.” Lando said coming in and taking a seat next to Finn.  
Finn looked down at the planet. He looked closely, his eyes draw in on the the left side of the planet, though there was nothing he felt himself being drawn to it. “I think we could go the former Capital. If there is anyone there, maybe we find out from them and go from there.”  
All agreed with Finn and The Millennium Falcon begun it’s journey down to Sundari, the former capitial.

Every emotion Ben felt conflicted with each-other.  
Though he wanted to fool himself and pretend that he was happy, or at most, somewhat pleased, he truly wasn’t.  
One of the many things that the darkside had taught him was when you felt emotions you felt it more strongly and more powerfully than the light, as the darkside was about all consuming passion.  
Sat having a meal on the black and sliver polished dinning table in the Obliterator banquet room with the girl who had Rey’s face, Ben felt a detachment from what was happening before him. Though the girl with Rey’s face was dressed seductively in a low-cut, see-through and sheathed red dress, adorned with lavish red jewels on her neck and in her long hair, Ben felt he may as well be looking at a platoon of stormtroopers.  
Dressed himself in a formal shirt and trousers, he wished he had his usual clothes, as to him it felt like a form of armour away from everyone else around him.  
“This is truly delicious.” The girl with Rey’s face said as she took another bite of the meal in front of her.  
“Hmmm.” Ben replied swallowing his food and looking down at his plate.  
“What are you thinking?” The girl with Rey’s face asked.  
Not looking up from his plate Ben went to talk but stopped himself, instead cutting more of his meal before him and placing it in his mouth.  
A sighed escaped from the girl.  
Then the girl across from him throw her plate up in the air and let it smash to the floor in a loud echoing clang that rang throughout the banquet room.  
Still not looking up the plate Ben comment. “Obiviously not that delicious then after all.”  
With a screech the girl pushed her tall black chair back and stood up, her red dress flowing around her and as she stood. Taking another bite Ben didn’t look up, even when he heard the sound of heeled shoes walk towards to him.  
A thought passed his mind; wondering if Rey had ever worn shoes as loud and impractical as the ones the girl who was walking over to him did.  
“Your Highness.” The girl said as she stood on his left side.  
Still Ben didn’t look up at her or reply.  
“Your highness, what displeases you?” The girl asked desperately. “Have I done something not to your-“  
“You…” Ben said slowly, looking down at the last remains of his meal. "Have done nothing.”  
Reaching her hand out the girl went to touch Ben’s shoulder but instead he grabbed her wrist in his hand and held it there, still not looking at her.  
“Tell me what you want me to do.” The girl said.  
Slowly Ben looked up at the girl before him. Her face was flawless like Rey’s, down to the last detail and with the minimal use of make-up she had have her a glow that Ben had never seen Rey have, which was to be fair, he had only seen her physically a handful of times. Everything about the girl stirred something within Ben that was primal, something that he had not known in years, though couldn’t be sure if was the fact she was physical embodiment of Rey or his own sharp jagged loneliness at the loss of what had been the other part of soul when Rey died.  
“I don’t know.” Ben said a whisper.  
“I can help you.” The girl insisted fiercely.  
At those words Ben let go the girl’s wrist as if it was on fire and stood up, using the force his chair was pushed back and crashed against the wall. Leaning his clenched fists on the table before him Ben was still for a moment, inside of him he could feel the anger building up quickly, causing all the items on the table, from the plates, cutlery, crystal glasses and overt-decorative centre piece to lift from their places hovering in the air, before he banged his fists on the table causing everything on the table to fall back down and the table itself to crack in two.  
Not moving away the girl stood next to Ben unflinching.  
“You can’t help me.” Ben said turning his head towards her and looking at her directly in the eyes. “Go back to your rooms.”  
With that Ben turned to leave the room but the girl reached for him again, this time much more forcefulness.  
“Tell me what you need.” The girl demanded desperation in her voice.  
“I need you to get away from me.” Ben hissed and he pulled away from her.  
Letting go of him the girl she knelt down to the floor and begun to cry, a childlike whimper, her whole body shaking as she did so. Standing in the doorway, about to exit Ben looked back, the girl’s dress was fanned out around her, like a pool of fresh blood.  
“What…do you think you can do for me?” Ben asked.  
Looking down at the ground the girl rubbed her eyes and said softly. “I don’t know, I was just told that I was to whatever you wanted.”  
“What do you want?” Ben asked, moving back into the room.  
“I…I don’t know.” The girl said, sounding as if the thought had never occurred to her.  
Walking slowly to stand in front of the girl, Ben towered over her, looking down at her he felt his heart pinch at the sight of her, this creation that Pryde had commission for him with the idea it would somehow smooth him and focus him.  
“Do you really want to know what I want?” Ben asked in tone firm.  
“Yes.” The girl said looking up at him at as if he were a God.  
“I want…” Ben said slowly. “I want to burn everything I can because the one thing that was worthwhile is gone and there is nothing else now.”  
Crouching down in front of the girl, Ben reached out to touch her face, still wet with tears. Tilting his head to the side he took in the way her green eyes grew brighter from the tears, just as Rey’s had after they had fought, and killed, Snoke’s praetorian guards on the Supremacy.  
“You want to help me?” Ben said. “Then help me do this, burn everything and everyone.”  
The girl nodded, a smile creeping across her face.


	12. Discern The Indiscernible.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quick chapter.
> 
> Am NOT turning this into a political piece in The Star Wars universe or going mega meta, there is a reason and logic for the course this chapter is going. 
> 
> I do have to remind myself I'm doing this for "fun", for the shits and giggles, I barely take myself serious on a daily, it harder to in the world of the internet and fandomness.

The hours on Dom-Bradden were playing havoc with most people in the Resistance, the long days and the constant worry of what The First Order was up to caused everyone to wonder around in a worried daze, Poe himself included.

It was late when Poe managed to catch up with Kaydel Connix and Beaumont Kin for a late night drink inside one of the cargo ships that was empty and would likely be used tomorrow to try to take anyone that wanted to escape the clutches of The First Order they knew wanted to escape, which part of Poe wished they could do more than ‘cargoing’ out civilians but fighting, for now, that was out of the questions, the bruises and scars of Exogal still raw.

Sat on the floor with ration bars and fruit that they had found on their previous travels, Kaydel and Beaumont looked as if they were just children playing hooky, laughing at something the other had said and trying to catch the food which the other was throwing into their mouth. 

How long had it been since Poe had been had been that young? Having partly decided to grow his beard over the last few weeks he begun to see small grey hairs doting the side of it in odd places, Poe had looked in the mirror and realised he was seeing the face of his father who had died only a few short few years ago, before Poe had joined the Resistance with Leia.

“Hey, did you bring it?” Beaumont asked standing up excited on spotting Poe.

Smiling Poe rised up his essential party element; the spiced Corellian ale that he had been given by the Commanders union their arrival, who advised him to drink it quick, Corellian ale was best drunk quick and not to be kept laying around incase it fermented too much and exploded. 

The three sat down, Kaydel pouring their drinks in beakers she had taken from the mess hall and would return the next morning. Around the base was quiet and the sound from the planet blew in from the gentle breeze around them. 

“So give to us straight Poe.” Kaydel said, forgoing his title. “How we looking?”

“As good as always.” Poe said taking a gulp the ale in his beaker.

“Oh well, that’s great.” Beaumont said sarcastically chuckling.

Looking down on the floor Poe sighed. “We not completely down, we have hope, the guys on their missions, if they can pull it off, we stand a chance.”

Beaumont and Kaydel nodded.

“Leia would be proud of you.” Kaydel said leaning forward and touching Poe’s palm. 

“Thanks.” Poe said, wanting to believe his young friend but being unable to. “I know she’d be likely kicking my ass for something though.”

“She did that to everyone.” Kaydel offered. “Its what we all loved about her.”

“Did the general ever talk to you guys about what she wanted to happen after the war?” Beaumont asked, pouring himself another drink.

Shaking his head Poe replied. “It was one of the many things that I think she wanted to wait until the war was over before we spoke in depth about it.”

Leaning back Kaydel looked thoughtful for a moment as she took a sip of her drink, ignoring the burning in her throat from it. “She told me.” Kaydel said. 

This didn’t surprise Poe, Kaydel had become like a daughter and close friend to Leia Organa, whilst all others died in battle or age, Kaydel remained close, especially after the loss of Ben Solo and from the loss of all those she had known killed from the Hosnian System genocide. Poe knew, from schooling, the history of the formation of The Republic and what it had entailed, Leia more than likely would of wanted to do this again but with a closer eye on the different activities of those who would try to recreate the past.

Taking a breath Kaydel looked at both Poe and Beaumont and said. “Leia said she wanted to change how everything worked. She...thought that to bring back The Republic for a third time wouldn’t work, that it was doomed to fail and that it was systematically impossible for it to ever work.”

“What?” Poe exclaimed, nearly choking on his drink. “Your not serious….Leia…Leia didn’t think that?”

“She did.” Kaydel nodded. “Leia told me that the problem with The Republic was that it was, and had been, too easy for those who wanted to corrupt it to do so, that there was too much greed, too much archaic hierarchy that worked against everything that the Republic was trying to do.”

“So what did she want?” Poe asked. “They only other option is a totalitarian regime like The Empire or The First Order.”

Beaumont realised something, from his own conversation on history with Leia from everything from Alderaan culture to pure Republic society and culturalism, to the Jedi order in his long history he found a connecting element that Leia would talk to him about. “She wanted planets and systems to have Galactic Indenpendce for themselves.”

Kaydel nodded. “Yes, she wanted not to repeat the mistakes from the past but start again.”

“But that…can’t work.” Poe frowned. “How would that work.”

“It would work.” Beaumont said, taking his drinking and taking a big gulp of it. “The New Republic, when it was reformed, just used the same formula and formate that had been the Old Republic’s, only difference now was these planets had been changed from what Palpatine and The Empire had done to them, those that wanted nothing to do with anything like it again, or those that had profited and wanted a return to Order…hence why and possible how The First Order came back.”

Looking down at the floor, Poe’s had swam from the ale and from his thought of what he was just hearing, how what he was being told that Leia had planned went against everything they were fighting for.

“But…we can’t just fight and liberate systems and planets, then…just leave to themselves.” Poe said trying to fathom it. “We’d be dooming them and ourselves to failure.”

Beaumont looked down into his empty beaker, turning it over in his hands. After a second he placed the beaker down in front of himself and looked up at Poe. “What is this?” 

“What?” Poe frowned, wondering if his friend was beyond the point of drunk now. “It’s a cup man.”

Skaking his head Beaumont crossed his arms. “This beaker is plastic, it was made by someone or something that made it into a cup.”

“Where…where are you going with this?” Poe asked confused.

“The Galaxy, this galaxy, the one we have now, can only be changed by it's people.” Beaumont explained. “The New Republic, the one which Leia, Mon Mothma and Ackbar helped to create, was made within days of the fall of the Empire, people had only moment to breath before they were told to live another way-“

“But The Republic was not the Empire-“ Poe interjected.

“They still told people how to live, how to trade and not trade, how to do everything but not tell them how to free themselves.” Beaumont said. Leaning forwards and pushing his beaker aside, Beaumont looked at Kaydel and Poe, he could tell he wasn’t explaining himself enough. “For all the good The Republic, in all it’s forms, did, the Galaxy is still run by those who exploit the poor and weak, slavery still exists, The Republic knew about it all but because they were paid what needed to be paid, they kept quiet about it, they did noting.”

“Your sounding like a Separatist.” Kaydel said, sipping her drink.

“Maybe.” He shrugged. “But my point is this; The Republic works in theory but practicality, not really. People were never given the tools to liberate themselves and make their own decisions, for too long, even before the Clone Wars, the galaxy has been controlled by those who don’t listen.”

Ringing his palms together in thought Poe asked. “So what happened if we win, we leave them all to die and offer no help and support?”

Kaydel sat straighter and cleared her throat. “Leia was not stupid, she knew that it would be sound impossible and more than likely there would be chaos…but you saw what happened on Exogal Poe, people came because they were ready to fight, they want an end to the War and the death.”

“But we lost.” Poe said taking a big gulp of his ale. “Hence why we’re here. Everything that has happened since The Clone Wars was because of Palpatine, not the Republic.”

“We didn’t lose.” Kaydel said sharply. “Nobody won, Palpatine was stopped and…now we have to finish this.” 

Shaking his head Poe couldn’t understand anything hat was being said and couldn’t think what else he could ask that would help him make sense of it. Sighing he said. “So The Republic was just a big fat lie.”

“No…” Beaumomt said. “It wasn’t, it did good but whatever comes next, it’ll be decided by the people who’ve seen generational war and never want it ever again, otherwise our children’s children’s children will be repeating history over and over.”

Making inside of Poe clicked then and he understand. 

Whatever happened next, there had to never be another war.


	13. Lost And Found And Lost Again.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was quite fun to write.
> 
> I have spoken.

Though not as well traveled as Chewbacca, between of all them they were all awed by what little and remained intact in the once former Capital Sundari. The domed roof of the capital city was almost gone, partly collapsed onto the ground below, or around the surrounding area, Finn could only think they there must a been an attacked either from outside or within.

Breathing in the oxygen from his mask before taking it off, allowing himself to be embraced by the thin air of the Sundari ruins, Finn let the mask hang losely round his neck, speaking into his communication bracelet on his left wrist Finn asked. “3PO, you still with us?”

“Yes Commander Finn.” The Protocol droid responded from Dom-Bradden. 

Touching the ground, Jannah let her fingertips make contact with the fine ash that was on the floor around them. Having been in different battles and seen death too many times, she all to familiar with this type of ash, these were the ashes of humanoids. 

“How far are we away from The Government office?” Finn asked.

“You are 402 metres away Commander.” 3PO replied. “You will need to travel up to level 5 on the west side and head south.”

Chewbacca growled as he looked and saw that from below there wasn’t much left of a way to get upstairs and there wasn’t much of an actual upper levels to be had.  
Standing up Jannah checked to see if she could get any life reading from where they stood, hoping that they would have more luck than from above and outside the Domed capital. “I’m getting nothing here still.” Jannah reported. “This is a lost cause. I’m going to tell Lando we’re-“ 

From her reading in her palm, there came flashing and beeping. Looking at the readings it said there were now five life forms detected, no ten ifeforms, wait no there was twenty.

“Guys…” Jannah said lifting up her blaster. “I think we need to get going, we’re seriously not alone here.”

Stepping backwards towards Jannah and Chewbacca, keeping his eyes open and focused on everything around them, Finn nodded as he raised his blaster ready for anything.

All three of them stood with their backs against eachother, slowly stepping out and trying to keep their senses open and ready. Worriedly Chewbacca growled he didn’t like this.

“Same here.” Jannah agreed.

Beside Chewbacca something was thrown and landed nearby him. Seeing it Chewbacca jumped and fired his nowcaster at it, only to realise that it was simply a stone.  
Seeing it, Finn and Jannah frowned at eachother, after which another stone was thrown by their feet and then another, the stones were palm sized and flat, like the had been smoothed down. None of the stones were hitting them, they were being thrown nearby them.

Readying her blaster, Jannah begun to watch where the stones were coming from. 

Finn looked at his friend and could see the steely determination on her face, he knew she was a good shot and would more than likely aim to injure, or kill, their stone throwing friend. 

“Wait,” Finn said stepping away from the circle of defence they had built. Turning to Jannah, he held out his hand to tell her lower her blaster, which she only half dif. Scanning all round him Finn looked to see if any more stones were being thrown. “We’re not here to hurt you…”

Reaching out to his surroundings, he tried to see if he could sense the emotions coming from around him.

“Is anything alright-“ 3PO started confused from Finn’s wrist, which he silence quickly before 3PO could continue.

Fear, worry, anger. Finn could feel very lowly and quietly. He knew these were Jannah and Chewbacca’s, having been traveling with them he could sense there feeling and could distinguish between them. 

“My name’s Finn.” He said waiting forward, looking all around them. “We’re with the Resistance.”

Hissing through her teeth Jannah said. “What are you doing?”

“Trust me.” Finn assured her, looking back over his shoulder.

Behind him Chewbacca shook his head.

Moving forward he continued. “We’re not here to harm you or take anything, i promise you.” Slowly he could the emotions start to change, beginning to become more curious and inquisitive about them.

“This,” Finn said looking back and Jannah and nodding, “is my friend Jannah.”

Looking around the room to the supposed invisible audience that Finn was addressing, she raised her hand and mumbled. “Hi.”

“And this guy,” Finn pointed to Chewbacca, “is my very famous friend Chewbacca The Wookiee, he fought side by side with Han Solo and Luke Skywalker.” 

Not entirely sure how to response, Chewbacca pushed his nowcaster behind his back and raised both his arms in an overly dramatic wave to the eyes watching. 

Like a slow ripple he could feel the surprise and awe flowing off from the persons who were watching them in their hidden places. 

“We’re not here to take anything, I promise.” Finn said. “If you want, we’ll go, right now.”

There came not any response, not a stone was thrown, not a noise was made from anywhere. 

“We can help you…” Finn said. “But only if you want.”

For around a minute there nothing, the sound of their own breathing in the thin air.

Then, from everywhere, various adolescent Sullustans appeared, all in various differing shades of skin grey, brown or yellow, with their signature large eyes and oval jet black eyes around twenty-five of them standing huddled next to each-other in front of Finn, each one looked as the clothes they wore were old and too large for them and very unsuitable for the harsh planet, the tallest (tall for their species), and most likely the oldest, stood in front, protecting and defendinding those behind them. 

Finn could sense there was still fear from them but there was also wonder and interest as well, Finn’s words of their being Resistance had earned their interest.  
Taking in the Sullustans before her, Jannah could see, like herself, they were survivors and they were very part together in their survival. “Where are your parent” She asked. “Are you alone.”

From behind the tallest there was clicking and whisper as they turned to each-other speaking behind their hands hurriedly. 

In a voice coarser than someone of their age, the tallest member answered. “Gone. Taken away.”

“By who?” Finn asked.

More whispering and clicking, this time faster and louder. 

All three of them looked at eachother and realised collectively what they answer was.

“The First Order,” Finn said, answering the tallest Sullustan. “They took your parents.”

“No.” The lead Sullustan answered. “They took all our family.”

Chewbacca roared angrily, knowing that their children’s lives had been ripped apart, like so many before because of The First Order.

“Did…did” The lead Sullustan started but finding it hard to find the words. “Did you come to help us?”

Finn didn’t want to lie to them but he wasn’t going to abandon them. Taking them all in, he knew he could fit them all on The Falcon, but he didn’t want to risk their lives if they had to make a quick escape. “No, we didn’t come here to rescue you.”

The look of the lead Sullstan couldn’t of looked more sad if it was possible, his ears folded and their dewflaps jowls pushed in as they lowered their head down.

“But we will take away from here.” Finn told them, walking closer to them, “We can call our base and they can pick you up and take you back there, to safety.”

Again more whispering and clicking came from the lead Sullustan. Their head was now lifted and they were talking to the ones nearest him, listening to what they were saying. After a moment the lead Sullustan responded. “Our families…we want to find them, they might come back. Can you help?”

Inside Finn felt a small pinch in his chest, at a memory of a friend who had waited and waited for parents who never came back for her, parents who had died but she had wanted years for them. These children were like that, though their families were gone/taken, there was a chance that they were still alive and could be found…but not alone, they would need help.

Standing in front of the leader, Finn put her hand a comforting hand on their shoulder. “What’s your name?” 

“Koliua Kulk.” The female Sullustan answered.

“Koliua…” Finn said, taking a breath calm gentle voice. “If The First Order took your families off planet, they won’t bring them back here. But we can try to help you find them.”

Jannah stood next to Finn, trying to same calm as Finn, not to use her military trained tone. “Koliua, what happened here? Do you know what The First Order was doing here?”

Behind Koliua a small high pitched voice said. “Making people.”  
Another voice said. “Making a person.”

They had found it, they had found the planet that had been used for cloning but they might already be too late. Finn, Jannah and Chewbacca felt a united chill inside from this knowledge. 

“They took them,” Koliua said, her voice breaking slightly, “Families told us to hid, to bury ourselves, like they taught…we waited and waited, when we came out, they were all gone.”

“Finn,” Jannah said, looking into his ear, “They were using the Sullustans to build the clone army.”  
“Do you know where they went Koliua?” Finn asked. 

She shook her head, her still growing ears and jowls moving as she did. “No, they said nothing.” 

Stepping away for a moment, Jannah looked around the building they stood in, their was no way this was the location of the factuality they used to build the army, it was too exposed, too dangerous.

Looking at all the Sullustans she asked. “Do you know where they were making the people Koliua?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “Its not far, we can all take you.”

Behind her all the other Sullustan nodded and sounded their agreement with her.  
That was not a good idea, though the young Sullustan's families were apparently gone, that didn’t mean The First Order was, it was too dangerous. 

“Can just you take us?” Finn asked.

Taking a protective step back she shook her head, the younger Sullustan moved closer to her as well. They were all together on everything. “Can’t leave, protect.”

Kneeling down in front of her Finn looked her and smiled. “We need your help, this is very important. Chewbacca, he can stay and look after everyone, he’s very very good at protecting and he keep everyone safe, I promise.”

Everyone, all young Sullustan included, looked up to Chewbacca, who, realising all eyes were focused on him, gave a small wave and gentle growl. 

“Can you help us?” Jannah asked kneeling down next to Finn.

With a determined nod Koliua and reached out her hand to Finn and Jannah to take. 

Leaving the former dead capital city, towards the North, Finn offered Koliua his mask as they entered in the ruined wastelands, to which she refused, saying she would be okay. Over his communication device Finn told C3PO to ask Poe if he could send a ship to pick up the children when he gave them all clear, not telling him any details yet. Jannah also told Lando on Falcon that they were going to investigate, that she had activated her tracker and that if they didn’t hear from them in the next 3 hour to come find them.  
Walking past The Falcon, Finn caught a glimpse of Lando in the cockpit, who gave them a small salute. 

Ahead of them they was nothing but a dead landscape, flat and lifeless, not a single bit of vegetation alive anywhere, the sky and the land were different shades of grey, one darker than the other, both offering nothing pleasing to they eye to look upon. 

“How old are you Koliua?” Jannah asked, trying to sound clear through her mask.

“I am 12 year.” She answered proudly. 

“How long have you been on Mandalore?” Finn asked.

Frowning, causing her jowls to press together and her eyes narrowed she answered. “Don’t know, did not know this was Mandalore. We came from Sallust, when First Order landed and took us to make our families follow.”

Trying not to stop and kick the ground, Finn squeezed his fists together, even though he and Jannah were all too familiar with the sheer evil that The First Order was capable of, it still shocked him. 

“When did your families know to tell you to hide?” Jannah asked.

Thinking for a moment Koliua replied. “When First Order needed more room.”

At first it looked as if the horizon just went on and on forever, there being no difference in what was ahead of them, but it was trick. It was only when they were basically standing looking down at it that Jannah and Finn saw large chasm that looked as something had fallen from the sky and blown a hole in the ground, it possible that it was the length of a Star Destroyer. Though it looked empty their were several closed large hatches cargo that they could make out, half covered in the dust and dirt of the planet, slowly disappearing to be forgotten if not for the Sullustan children.

“Down there.” Koliua said pointing down to the very middle of the chasm, which lead to a black hole down. 

“Koliua how do we-“ Jannah asked before the young Sullustan sat down on the edge of the chasm and allowed her to roll down on backside down the side of the chasm.  
Watching as their young guild begun her descent down, Jannah and Finn shrugged at each-other and followed Koliua down the same way. 

Though the descent down was far was comfortable and easy on them, they reached down quickly, with Koliua waiting for them, rubbing the dust from her already worn clothes, not touching the new patches of dirt on her face. 

Getting on to their feet, Jannah and Finn followed Koilua she walked to purposely to one of the closed hatches, one of the largest, that looked at if there was blaster damage on the door.

“Koliua,” Finn asked, “is there anyone down there?”

Shaking her head she answered. “No people, just droids.”

“Droids?” Jannah asked. “Were they battle droids?”

The young Sullustan shrugged her small shoulder not sure how to answer.

“Well, best go in ready either way.” Finn said.

Between the three of them they managed to get the door to open slightly more. After their combined effort Finn and Jannah agreed they should have asked Chewbacca to come, he would of opened the doors already. Taking a torch off her Jannah looked down into what was beneath them, seeing nothing was pitch blackness. 

Sighing she lifted her head back up and turned off her torch. “Can’t see a thing down there. Maybe-“

Before she share her idea of what they could do next, the doors they sat begun to shake and below them lights started to shine through the creak of the door and nearly blind them. 

“Run!” Koliua shouted as she got to her feet and jumped off the door.

Jannah and Finn followed their guild just in time before the hatch doors rolled open fully and below they sound of begun alive and operational filled the air, with beeps and alarms sounding off. 

Leaning over they could see down into to what appeared to docking bay, though there was no ships, simply station, ladders and droids, all alive and awake.  
“What did we do?” Jannah asked.

“We need to get down there.” Finn told Jannah. Turning to Koliua he asked. “Can you take us down there?” 

Nodding, Koilua gave a determined face. “Yes.”

Leading them again, they descend down a ladder from the hatch that lead them to a platform which lead them to stairs that took them gradually down. As they went, they could see the scale of what was before them, though empty of life, the space was miles long, lite with artificial lights.  
“You think The First Order built all of this in 2 years?” Jannah asked.

Looking at the ceiling and the wall Finn could tell that the workmanship to keep the instructor sound was not like what he seen The First Order do, Starkiller base they had had no respect for the planet itself, destroying everything in their way. Here it looked as if more care had been taken.

“This must of been Mandalorian.” Finn replied. “If 3PO was here he’d talk our ears off about everything Mandalorian.” 

On the ground Jannah walked over to one of the control consoles panels nearest and begun to try and make sense of what was happening.

“Oh crap.” She exclaimed. “It wants a code.”

“What?” Finn walked over next to her. “Code what for?”

“Access to-“

“Can I help you?” Came a gentle voice behind them.

Spinning round with their blasters ready, Finn pushing Koliua safely behind them out fo danger, they were ready for a Stormtrooper but instead they were meet by a Protocol droid, similar in height and design to C3PO, but more without circuits and wiring showing, a face that was made to look more human, with blue eyes with white and black metal covering, so they appeared to look a droid stormtrooper. 

“I repeat: Can I help you?” The droid asked.

Still not lowering his blaster Finn took in the droid, though The First Order was no stranger to using droids or Protocol droids, this droid was far from like any he had known.

“We’re looking for General Pryde.” Finn said, with mock confidence.

“I am afraid Grand Admiral Pryde is be found on the Obliterator currently.” The female Droid said helpful. “Do you wish to turn off the self destruct programme?”

“WHAT!” Finn shouted, looking at Jannah.

“Was trying to tell you.” Jannah rolled her eyes. “This place’s defence is self destruct, which started as soon as we entered.”

“How long do we have?” Finn asked.

Answering for her, the droid responded. “Six minute and 10 seconds. 9 seconds. 8 seconds.”

Reaching over, Finn covered the Droid’s mouth piece, though knowing it was simply for show, and droids ‘spoke’ from their head, it stopped the droid continuing her count down. 

“Change of plan.” Finn said. “We get it.”

“But we need to find something, anything about the Clone Army!” Jannah hissed, moving back to the panel. “We can’t leave with nothing, otherwise this whole mission was a failure!”

Collectively Jannah and Finn realised at the same time and turned their heads towards their new droids friend, who looked back at them, her electrical blue eyes tarting between the two of them. 

Both Jannah and Finn grabbed the Protocol droid by their white arms and started to carry her off the ground and with them back up the stairs to escape. Koliua lead them, turning back every so often to make sure they were keeping up with her. 

“Lando,” Jannah said in her com link as she run in tandem with Finn, “we’re going to need a pick right now!”

From the other end, there came a crackled response, but nothing else. 

“I don’t know if he got it!” Jannah said.

“We’re gonna have to pray he did!” Finn yelled.

They were just to the last platform the ladder that lead them to the hatch to escape, when the last minute of the count down for self destruction of the First Order clone factory begun.

There new droids find all the way had been quiet and seeming to go along with them until they started to try to turn her upside down, so Jannah could climb one handed, while the other held the right foot of her, with Finn below holding on the droids shoulder and balancing her metal uneven head against his. 

Climbing out last, Finn push their new droid friend ahead of him and looked up to see if the Falcon was there.

“He’s not here!” Jannah yelled. Scanning everywhere above her.

“23…22…21…20…” The cold voice from below them rang out.

Clenching his fits together Finn closed his eyes and focused. He reached to see if he could feel Lando anywhere around him.

“Finn,” Jannah said, “we have to try to climb.”

“18…17…16…” 

Taking a breath it was just then, he felt it.

“On your right!” Finn yelled, pointing in that directions.

Just then the Millennium Falcon appeared, it's ramp already down and ready for them.

Not needing to told, Koliua run to the ship and up the ramp inside, both Jannah and Finn following, part carrying, part dragging their new droid friend. When inside Finn closed the ramp door and slide down the wall of The Falcon to his backside, sweating was rolling off his head.

“That was very usual.” The girl droid said.

Lando from the cockpit pulled the ship up in a swirl out of the chasm, just barely escaping the implosion that shoot out around the ship. At first the implosion lite up the ground in the chasm, causing everything to be lifting up, before another implosion occurred, where the hatch door were blown off and the ground begun to cave in on itself, causing the chasm to grow as everything was swallowed up in the ground. 

Running into the cockpit Jannah could see a tense Lando steer the ship towards the former Capital city, the ground below being swallowed up in the process.

“Is this going to engulf the city?” Jannah asked.

“Contact Chewy.” Lando responded quickly and calmly, “tell him to run as far south as he can.”

Jannah took the co-pilot seat next to Lando and begun to contact Chewbacca.

Looking down, she could see the ground of vanishing at the speed The Falcon was moving. 

Chewbacca sat with his knees crossed as the young Sullustan children sat on his lap or around him braiding his fur or using string to put part of his hair in to small pony tails. The other children sat watching and laughing at the sight before, as the Wookiee was allowing himself to be groomed.

One of the smallest children dressed in an oversized tunic and trousers moved to stand in front of Chewbacca and with a piece of string, that she had hidden in her pocket, she reached up his to head on her tip toes and begun to wrap it around apiece of his fur, eventually creating a bow, that was pointed upwards and looked very out of place on his head.

In front of him the small children begun to giggle, who was then followed by the other children, as all took in the sight of braided Wookiee with his makeshift bow in his hair. 

Shifting his blue eyes up to the top of his head the Wookiee should just about see the top of the bow, growling under his breath, he went to take it off but stopped himself when he caught sight of the smiling tiny Sullustan before him. Sighing in defeat, he slouched as he sat.

“CHEWY!” Jannah’s voice shout out through his communication device, that he had fitted to his unity belt that was slung over his shoulder. “You need to get out of the city right now, it’s going to disappear into the ground! Take the children and run South! Do you copy?”

Jumping up on his feet, he roared his response back, not sure what was happening but knowing he had to save the children as quickly as possible.

In one swift move the Wookiee grabbed the smallest Sullustan child in front of his, showing her on his shoulders, then reaching out for another and another, until he had almost three on his arm, two his shoulders, two on his back. Roaring and waving at the others, he told them to follow him, which they did with their faces stiff with fear.

As Chewy run out the way they had first entered into the dead City, he could hear a thunderous noise behind and around him, one he was not sure if was ships above or blaster fire. 

All the children run to try and keep up with him but their short and weaker legs couldn’t keep up.

Thinking quickly, Chewbacca slide the children that were on his arms to his back and he crouched down on all fourss and begun to grab more of the smaller children and pull more on his back, until he appeared more Sullustan than Wookiee. The older and stronger children begun to keep up, running ahead and next to Chewbacca, no longer trying to help the others.

Ahead of them, though the ruin and devastion of the lost city of Sundari, Chewbacca could make out the brighter light of the dim outside of Mandolore. 

From behind the sound of the city beginning to vanish underground, with the crashing, shrieking and tearing of the last standing structure of what stood collapsed below itself.

With one leap, he took another handful of children running beside him and took them with him as he jumped out the boundaries of the ruined Capital city.

From above, Lando and Jannah landed the Falcon, just in front of them. Within a second Finn appeared from the ramp, beckoning Chewbacca and the children to come.  
Chewbacca begun to to peel the children off of him and ushered them towards Finn.

Looking back, he could through the dust, dirt and ash that was being kicked up and pushed all around him, he caught sight one last child, running with all his might towards him, their large black eyes filled with tears, crying out for help.

Without another thought Chewbacca ran over to the child as he could see the last part of the city vanishing underground. 

Leaping onto the child, Chewbacca grabbed them and pulled them into a protect Wookiee embrace. Around he could feel the ground move and all the dust covered him and child, causing him to not known what direction to go.

“Chewy!” Finn yelled, realising his friend has gone back

Holding on the child, he gave a gentle purr into its ear, telling them not to be afraid. Though unsure if they were about to be swallowed up into the ground or not, he wanted to make sure the child knew he was safe as could be.

Then everything stopped.

Holding onto the child, Chewbacca opened one eye and saw that only inches away the sink-in had stopped and below him was ruin of the former city, twisted, mangled and unrecognisable.

“Chewbacca!” Jannah voice yelled out through the dust and dirt.

Standing up, with the last child holding tightly on his chest and his fur Chewbacca gave a shocked but happy roar back in response.

Standing on the ramp, Jannah and Finn, with all the Sullustan children standing behind them begun to jump up and down for joy.

Shaking his head to rid himself of some of the dirt that he was covered in, Chewbacca begun to walk towards the noise his friends were making.

Chewbacca was seriously considering that he really needed to take some sort of holiday, soon.


	14. I Waited For You.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was the plan but it took longer than I intended to to put in, it's probably cheesy but I put a disclaimer it's lactose cheesy
> 
> Was listening to this song when writing. 
> 
> https://youtu.be/zdim8yiAqoQ

Someone nearby was calling her name, gently and calming wanting her attention, which was drawn out towards the ocean in front of her. Its clear clean water meeting her bare feet and giving her a sense of peace and ease she hadn’t felt for a long time or as much before.

Everything felt so calm and pure. 

The sun above her head was bright but not harsh, it was nothing like the sun on Jakku that could kill you in so many ways slow or quick, depending where you were and what you were doing. Here, the golden hue of the sun was warm and glowing, and looking at it she didn’t even need to be careful and narrow her eyes.  
Crouching down she let her hands feel the water, which was warm and comforting to touch, making her sigh in contentment.

“You always loved the ocean. “ A female voice said behind her.

Turning around she came face to face with the face she had dreamed about every night for the last 14 years of life, the woman’s face was unlined, clean and smooth, similar to her own but more sculptured than her's, more mature, with long golden brown hair loose down her back, with honeyed green eyes, her outfit the colour of a perfect blue sky.

“Mum?” She said.

“Yes Rey my love.” The woman answered with tears starting to appear in her eyes and run down her cheek.

The two woman embraced, a hug that had not been had for so long. The amount of comfort and joy Rey felt then was like nothing she had in her adult life, it was better than having the best meal and feeling full, better than laying down to sleep after a long day. 

Holding on to her mother, the smell of her mother’s sweet perfume, honey blossom and lavender mixed together so lightly, the smell of happiness, warmth, home and love.

“I have missed you so much.” Her mother said holding tighter on to Rey’s.

Crying now herself, Rey could feel tears but somehow they weren’t there.

“Mum…” Rey said, wanting to say so much to her, ask her so many questions, wanted to know so many things but she couldn’t find the words.

Rey’s mother pulled out of the embrace, so she could look at her daughter. Touching her face, she smiled, then she lifted her hand up to touch Rey’s hair and she gave a little laugh. “You kept the same style?”

“So…so you would know it was me.” Rey said emotion coarse voice. “When you came for me.”

“My love, I would alway know it was you, no matter the time or place.” She replied. 

Slowly Rey’s mother started to untie Rey’s hair from her three tied up bunches, she ran her fingers through Rey’s chestnut hair and to see how long it was. 

The touch of her mother was so light and loving, Rey’s found herself crying again, knowing it had been years since anyone had done that.

“My beautiful daughter.” Her mother said proudly in front of Rey, Rey’s hair now loose like her mother’s in the breeze.

“Rey…” A male voice said next to her.

Turning around Rey saw her father, his neat bearded face and short dark hair and with caring warm brown eyes, just as she remembered. He was slightly taller than her, his clothes the same sky blue shade as his wife.

“Dad…” Rey said reaching out to hug him, throwing her amrs around his neck, feeling the warmth of his body and how he felt just as good to hug as her mother. 

This was everything she dreamt of, better than all the stories she played out in her head of what it would be like when they were all together again.

It was perfect.

But…her parents were dead…they had died.

Rey had died….the pain…then the exhaustion and how body just let out.

“Yes my love.” Her father dad, holding on tighter, her mother taking her hand in both of hers and gently holding it. “You died. That’s how we’re together now.”

Moving out of the hug she took in her father face. Though it was the face from her memories, her mother’s as well, it was aged, the lines and the way he looked somehow wiser. There were so many questions but all she could think about the what she had been doing all those years alone on Jakku.

“I waited…so long.” Rey said in a sad low breath. “I thought you would come back.”

“We were.” Her mother said quickly, trying to hold back a sob. “But we had to hide you until it was safe, we were coming back.”

Looking down to the warm gentle water they all stood in barefoot she remembered something, something that she, for years, had wondered if it was something Unkar Plutt had told her or she knew from somewhere else, and it had stuck in her mind but she had rejected because she always knew and now she did.

“You….” Rey looked up to both of them, still holding her mother’s hand. “You told me that you were junk traders, you made me forget…home.” 

A memory flashed in her mind of house on a lake, surround by low shallow clear water, of her running through it with her father chasing her and her toddler self giggling, running into the arms waiting mother.

“I did.” Her mother said nodding. “It something I was able to do from knowing what my Aunt told me about my grandfather and how to use the force.”

Thinking back, Rey remembered when she captured and on Starkiller base, when Kylo Ren had left her alone, she had known how to compel the stormtrooper to let her go and leave his blaster because what her mother had shown her.

“I remember…I remember so much.” Rey whispered crying.

To finally know that she did have memories, real ones, not ones she imagined. She could feel them all coming back, of a time when it only her and her parents, where they lived, when they used to travel, how when she was so small how her parents would hold on to her tightly in their arms and carry her, how safe she felt, that feeling, it was all she wanted to feel for so long.

Even when she found her friends in The Resistance.

When she found her dyad with Ben…

“Ben…” she breathed, starting to remember some of what happened. 

Moving away from her parents she spun around looking for any sign of Ben, he had to here, he had to be here. Where was he? She couldn’t feel him. She couldn’t feel their bond.

“Rey darling.” Her mother said. “He’s not here…he survived.”

Turning back to her mother, Rey felt relieved but sad, he alive, he was okay, so that meant he wasn’t here.

Hugging herself she tried to feel inside of her, to feel for her bond, to feel for Ben, but there was nothing there. The force was there, it had never been stronger, everything around her, was the force, it was more real, more solid. Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes she calmed herself, too many thoughts and feelings were running through at once.

The warm gentle hand of her mother touched her upper arm, another warm hand of her father touched her other arm.

“It’s okay.” Her father said. “We’re finally together.”

Opening her eyes again, she felt a warm feeling inside that they were still there, that it had been a dream. 

Slowly her parents hugged her again and all three of cried. 

•••

How long Rey and her parents stayed like that, she couldn’t tell, there was no sense of time where they were. 

Her parents took her and walked her away from the water, telling her as they walked about how they used to go to different planets and take Rey to see as many seas and lakes as possible, they’d shown her how to swim, they’d spend the night underneath the stars and her father would tell her about all the different planets and which ones he had been to. Rey listened, laughing and smiling, feeling the memories coming back with the story and words said. 

Before she realised it they walked into a forest, a lash green forest, with trees taller than she had seen before, leaves and breaches reaching up to the sky. There was a gentle breeze and a comforting sound of forest life all around them, stepping away from her parents she inhaled the warm earthy scented aroma around her.

Inside Rey knew this wasn’t real, though she felt as she had been there before, everything around her was something created some her parents memories.

A thought came to her then, something she had wanted to know for so long.

“What’s our name?” Rey asked, turning back to parents. “Its wasn’t Palpatine was it, we were something else.”

“No…” Her father said firmly. “We are not Palpatine’s Rey. You were lied to, Palpatine was never my father.” 

“What? But I thought-“

Shaking his head Rey father’s explained. “Palpatine said you were to trick you. He knew about your birth and hunted us for five years, we did everything we could to hide but…we tried so hard. He found out about us, unlike your mother, I was not connected to the force, not like her. He wanted to have an heir, but he couldn’t.” Rey’s father continued, his face looked pained and sad. “How he knew about us I can only say it was the darkside…he found out about you, he wanted you and we had to run from him until the day we hid you.”

Taking a breath, as if to push away the memories of pain, Rey’s father smiled at her, “My family were travelers we had no homeworld, if we once did we no longer knew, we traveled from the mid-rim, the outer-rim, the colonies and the unknown regions, we traveled as a family of twenty or more, we changed our name every twenty-five years to reflect our growth and change. Our family name was Moonrise, I was Mattew Moonrise, but when I married your mother I took her name. ”

Rey’s mother took her father hand comforting, smiling loving at her husband.

Gently and loving Rey’s mother touched the side of Rey’s face. “My mother's was name was Satine, Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore.” 

Her Grandmother had been a Mandalorian, a Duchess of Mandalore, Rey’s started to cry a new.

“My father,” Rey’s mother said, “was a Jedi master called Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi, the man she read about and had heard stories from Jedi archives she had found whilst traveling with Leia and the Resistance, stories Leia and those who knew their own stories of the man. She had a family, a family history. 

“My name is Katine Kryze,” Her mother smiled. “Your full name is Rey Satine Katan Kyrze.”

Looking at both them, Rey could feel something inside of being warmly completed, the missing information was fulfilling the whole she had had for so long. 

“I promise I will tell you everything you want to know.” Katine said leaning forward and kissing her daughter’s forehead. “We have all the time in the Galaxy now my love.”

A thought occurred to Rey then, something she had known the moment she had started to talking to her parents and had been sitting in the back of her mind, pushed away because her joy of being with her parents and being with the people she had longed for most. 

She was dead. Never to see her friends, to finish her training, to see the galaxy, to have her own family, her own home, to help all the others out there that had the force, people she had sensed and thought about often but was unwilling to train with yet because she didn’t want to put their lives in danger.

Finn, Rose, Chewbacca, Kaydel, Poe, BB8, 3PO…Ben.

This was forever. 

“My love,” Katine said, “you fought and now you can rest.”

Rest? Rey remembered what rest meant growing up, it meant no food and possible starvation, she knew what it meant in the Resistance, how it could meant keeping your guard down and losing good people. When had been the last time she rested.

Rey wanted to ask her parents what death was like but she felt she already knew, it was living in peace and living in the good memories, it was like being completely one with the force.

But Rey knew something, she knew then that despite what she was feeling, all the happiness of being reunited with her parents, having her memories of her past back and no longer fighting to survive and live, as she had been, she this wasn’t right, she wasn’t ready, there was something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Won't lie, hated the fact JJ/Disney made Rey a Palpatine, it didn't make sense, I can't say making her a Kenobi equalises less confusion but I just prefer it.  
> There IS a plan, I promise, the pace is glacial, I know, but this is for the shits and giggle and the giggly shits.


	15. Cartesian Doubt.

Shifting in her seat wearing the uniform that Maz, somehow, had gotten for them, Rose could remember back to when she was last in an Imperial inform and when she had first met Hux personally, though time in years it wasn’t that long ago, everything that had happened since in the galaxy, and their ‘relation’, was unfathomable. 

Though she had wanted to mention it to Hux, she already knew he was thinking the same, though he was an already pale gentleman, when he came out from changing he looked ashen face and shocked looking. When he took in Rose’s appearance she could tell he was remembering their history.

Both of their uniforms were not as crisps and clean as the previous ones they had worn, without the sharp ironed creases and the feeling as if they had just been manufactured, though still in The First Order teal unform, both looked as if they had been washed a few times and lost it's sharp colouring. 

Though neither said it, both knew it was Maz’s idea to make Rose higher in command than Hux, Rose being a Lieutenant and Hux a Senior Petty officer. 

Flying the shuttle Maz looked back at Hux and Rose behind her, sat rod straight and watching as they came out of hyperspace in front of Gree.

“Are you kids ready?” Maz asked realising forehead and increasing the lines on her already lined head.

“As we’re ever be.” Rose said firmly.

Next to her Hux pushed his lips together and gave an inwards cough. 

Nodding she looked back to the planet and started to scan it.

“Strange.” Maz muttered after a moment. “They haven’t made contact with for a code or threat to blow us into space dust.”

Shrugging Hux suggested. “Maybe they finished their work and have left.”

Looking at him from the side of her eye Maz replied. “My boy they are down there, they are just much deeper there than I knew.”

“Will this jeopardise the mission?” Rose asked worriedly, she stood up and starting to looking down at the planet.

“No, but it won’t make as easy as we’d planned.” Maz said. 

Hux fidgeted with his palms in his lap.

Nodding to herself, Maz Kanata took a breath. “Better get started, the galaxy waits for no-one.”

The less battered shuttle than it was made it way down into the planet’s atmosphere, all those on board all sharing in their uncertainty, one person particular felt more than just uncertainty but outright fear. 

•••

Though it had been Ben’s idea he was greatly regretting it. 

It was not going like anyway he had planned, it was so much worse. 

With his newly constructed lightsaber Ben twisted his wrist and struck his red blade against the quickly constructed amber lightsaber blade that the girl was holding that Ben had given her, and, again, she left go of the hilt of the lightsaber, causing it to go flying across the room, spinning as it landed. 

“I am sorry.” The girl responded, walking over to the lightsaber to retrieve it. 

Lowering his lightsaber, Ben run his gloved fingers through his hair frustratedly, sighing angrily as he did so. Looking down at his black booted feet he reached out his hand and called the fallen lightsaber into his hand, it missing the girl as it flew past her.

Stopping in her track, facing away from him, the girl looked a head and said nothing.

From where he stood Ben glanced at the back of the girl, he could almost imagine that she was the real Rey and they were again on the Supremacy and she was facing Snoke. 

Though no-one but him knew, he had commissioned some of the outfit the girl was wearing similar to the ones Rey had worn, not for some sense of morbid fantasy but because he knew the clothes Rey had worn were practical but also, he didn’t know what most woman wore, and more importantly he was bored of the clothes that were given to her, as if she was some pleasure girl or some sort of toy to be dressed like a doll, the irony wasn’t lost on him. 

“Where is your aggression?” Ben asked in low voice, hiding his own anger. “Use-it-to-fight-me.”

Turning around Ben could see she was trying her best to hold back her tears but her eyes were already started to shine with them “I am trying. I am.”

“Try-HARDER!” Ben yelled walking towards her, using long strides. “You may not have the force but you have anger in you.”

Nodding, the girl said nothing, her lower lip shaking. 

“Where is the anger in you from?” Ben asked as he stood in front of her.

“Pardon?” She asked, trying to hold her head and keep eye contact with Ben.

Slowly Ben started to walk around the girl, both his hands were behind his back, holding the two lightsabers. “What makes you angry?”

“I…I” The girl stuttered.

“Does it makes you angry that you don’t have a name? Or that I never address you?” Ben said sharply and quickly.

The girl tried to follow with her gaze and he moved around her.

“No…” She said softly. “That’s up to-“

“What about the fact you have nothing of your own? You have no past? You don’t get to choose anything you do or wear? Does that make you angry” Ben asked.

“I…I…am not unhappy with that but it is what it is-“

“What about the fact I reject you?” Ben said more loudly. “You were told everything about Rey and I still-reject-you…even though there is no you.”

Ben stopped in front of the girl. Slowly he leant forward so his face was inches from her, he looked at her for a moment, letting his breath be inhaled by her, inching closer he moved as if he was going to kiss her but instead went to her left ear and whispered. “You-are-nothing-and-you-are-noone.” 

Though the girl had been taught many things and there were things she knew were more true than the things that Ben was saying, something inside of started to snap. Her own desires and thoughts were a tangled web of things she had been told and she knew but at the moment she felt the colour red in the front of her eyes, she could feel the hitch in her breath.

Leaning back slowly, taking in the change of the girl, how her cheeks flushed and the way he could feel the vibrations of anger starting to flow into her body and bloodstream. Gently, still keeping eye contact with her, Ben placed the lightsaber in her right hand and stepped back, giving her a small nod in the process.

Quicker than he had expected the girl swung wide and wildly across Ben’s middle, her aim was bad but their was a sharp edge to it, if it weren’t for Ben knowing that she would do this, and his not igniting his lightsaber to block, then she could very well of caused some harm. Taken back by her own action the girl was still in the hunched position of her swing, when she looked at Ben, wanting some form of positive-regard from him, but then realising she was not going to get it. 

Again she aimed for him, this time his neck, though it was still clumsy and her balance was terrible, she tried again to strike him, trying to use the combat fighting technique Shii-Cho that Ben had shown her, mainly because it was both easiest to start on, though their was needed skill to use it, it was more a defence form than anything and Ben wanted more to defend more than fight eventually. 

Though he felt a hint of pleasure at seeing her try, Ben did nothing to show this on his face, which he kept blank and emotionless. 

Both started to engage in a sequence of beats against each-other's blades, rhythmically striking and then disengaging, then locking themselves together again. Ben started to step back, causing the girl to have to thrust with her blade further outwards rather than lunging, with meant she lost her depth and focus at keeping her attacks steady.

As though to tease her, Ben put one hand behind his back and back straight, stepping away from her but continuing to look directly at her. 

Clashing forward with her lightsaber the girl went to aim a strike at Ben but missed her foot and ended up rolling onto her right side, though she still managed to hold onto her lightsaber, now out of breath.

Ben, still impassive facial, looked down at her, he made a step towards towards her, rising his lightsaber threateningly. To Ben's great surprise the girl rolled herself onto her back and flipped herself up to standing, lightsaber ready.

The girl’s hair was loosen form its single ponytail that she had put it in, it was now down her and covering her shoulders.

It's longer than Rey’s. Ben found himself thinking.

Lost in that thought for a moment he almost missed when the girl spun on her feet to aim a strike at him.

Smiling to himself, Ben felt pleased. She was using her angry, though she was not connected to the force her angry was allowing her to fight enough to engage with him.  
Then something happened that Ben didn’t expect.

One moment the girl was holding the lightsaber in her hand, the next she dropped it and she begun to sway on her heels for a moment, before she collapsed to the floor.  
Watching her Ben rolled his eyes. She was tired, of course, he had forgotten she only mortal. Sighing he walked over to her and stood towering over her.

For a moment he thought about leaving her there, he would get one of the stormtroopers to collect and put her back into her quarters, he would go and deal with the plans that he and Pryde need to push forward with. 

But when Ben looked down, he could see the girl was foaming from her mouth and head was twitching on one side of her body. Frowning he knelt down and touched her head, to stop her movements and, without trying, he could sense that something was wrong, this wasn’t just exhaustion. 

By instinct Ben disabled his lightsaber, throwing it to one side, and reached down to pick up the girl into his arms. As he held her felt even more that something was off. With his arms under her back and under her knees, Ben stood up. 

She wasn’t as light as Rey had been, though the first time he had carried Rey she been underweight, then next time she was been decreased and all Ben had felt was a shell that could have weighed anything. 

Walking out of the room he yelled out to the stormtroopers guarding the door to contact the Medical Bay and prepare for him. Neither of the stormtroopers asked any question, they simply did as they were told. Almost running Ben moved down the corridor, one of the stormtrooper in front and one behind him, all of them got in the elevator to the lower deck where the Medical Bay was. 

The whole time Ben did everything he could to not look at her, he could allow the another of a Rey (though only her face) in pain into his mind again…not again. 

Watching from the other-side of the observation window in the Medical Bay, Ben watched as the Medical officers and the Medi-Droids worked on the girl.

Dressed now in his usually dark garb, his long black cloak engulfing him, he watched the movement of the those working, rather than the girl laying still on the bed. 

“Your Highness.” Pryde said behind him.

Not looking away from the window, Ben could see Pryde's reflection from the glass in the window.

Exhaling Ben asked. “Why didn’t you tell me that she would be dead within 3 years?”

“Your Highness,” Pryde started. “We execrated her growth at the cost of short term health and we-“ 

From behind Ben a choking sound came from Pryde as Ben put his invisible fingers against the man's throat and begun to squeeze. 

Though the words were more his gasping for breath than spoken Pryde continued. “We are…improve…everyday…the next will-ill be…better…you-my-my word.”

The next. Ben thought. The next?

Letting go of Pryde Ben allowed himself to look at the girl laying their on the bed.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Ben asked angrily.

Sucking in a breath Pryde said. “My apologises. I was not sure if you would enjoy the company of her for anything other than…recreational.”

Oh Rey. Ben thought.

“There will not be another, only this one. “ Ben said turning to face Pryde. “Can her life be extended?” 

“There is a possibility.” Pryde nodded. 

“I want you make sure she improves and that her life is extended.” Ben said stepping closer to Pryde. “If you fail me on this, I will kill you with my bare hands and it will be much worse than my force choking you.”

Nodding Pryde stood straight. “Of course your Highness, you have my word.”

Without another word Ben left Pryde, Ben's mind was filled with images of Rey as she had when he carried her from Exogal, the way her lips starting to turn more blue and the glow of her skin slowly begun to change to a deathly white, how her body was limp and lifeless, he could feel the way their was a stiffness within her was unnatural.

Oh Rey…what have I done? Ben thought. I lost you…I can’t lose you again...I can't lose you again. 

Pryde walked into the Medical Bay and told all those inside to leave. Standing over the body of the girl he smiled down at her.

“That was very good, very good.” Pryde said. 

Opening her eyes the girl looked at Pryde and gave a weak smile back. “Thank you Sir.”


	16. Old Friend.

Poe had sent a light FTX-1200 freighter to pick up the Sullstan from one of Mandalore’s moons.Though the children were both reluctant to leave Mandalore and Chewbacca, Finn and Jannah promised that they would be safe and that they were going to try find their families. 

Koliua had wanted to go with Finn and Jannh but after a lot of explaining and convincing that the others needed her, she agreed to go with back to Dom-Bradden.

The hardest hit for Jannah, Finn and Chewbacca was then Lando was going back with the ship too. Though Jannah knew it was coming, Finn and Chewbacca didn’t though, both trying to convince him to come with them. 

With tired eyes and his handsome smile Lando said no, he needed to stay in one place for a while and Poe need his help.

“The Falcon is in the best possible hands.” Lando told them. “You got the best co-pilot in the Galaxy.” Lando nodded at Chewbacca. 

Standing outside the freighter, that was all ready to go, Lando pulled his cape straight and leaned on his cane he had been using recently. 

“You sure we can’t change your mind.” Finn said hopefully. 

“Sorry Buddy.” Lando said. “I can’t.”

Standing next to Finn, Jannah held back the feeling she had inside she had of this being the last time she might see him. Keeping her head up, she reached out a hand to Lando to shake, to which the old smuggler chuckled and shook his his head. 

“My girl, you’re not getting away without just a hug.” Lando said, holding out his arms open for her. 

Stepping forward she let herself be engulfed in a hug by Lando, she took a quick breath to stop the tears she felt were coming.

“I promise I’ll look after The Falcon for you.” Jannah told him.

“I know you will.” Lando said. “But she belongs to all of you now…i lost that ship before you and Finn were even born!”

Pulling out of the hug, Jannah straightened up and stepped back next to Finn.

Chewbacca gave a low sad growl, lowering his head down.

“Chewy,” Lando laugh, “it’s just you and me left now isn’t pal?”

With a purr and whine Chewbacca responded.

“You take care of these kids.” Lando said smiling out him. Chewbacca lifted up his head and the two old friends shared a thought together, neither one of them had been able to protect the others, not Han, not Leia, not Luke, not Ben, not Rey…

Both hugged eachother, the taller and much hairy Wookiee patted Lando’s back and told him to take care of himself, otherwise Chewbacca would be very upset, and you never could upset a Wookiee. 

Rolling out of the Freighter appeared a small droid who wheeled over to the four standing friends, whistling and beeping excitedly along the way.

“R2?” Lando laughed. “How you doing you little old metal can?”

The droid responded quickly, to which only Finn couldn’t full understand.

“You were getting bored back at base with 3PO?” Lando asked, with the battered droid rolled around in circles and started to flip in and out some of it tools to show his excitement.

Chewbacca roared at the little droid, to whom rolled over to the Wookiee and was embraced in a one arm hug from above.

Once the freighter had left, all 3 returned back to the Falcon, Finn placing a comforting friendly arm around Jannah's shoulder as they went. Though it was only one person less in their small crew that was gone, everything felt more empty. 

Rolling into the Millennium Falcon, R2 whistled at how the ship looked a lot more cleaner than he remembered. 

“Boredom will do that, make you clean.” Finn answered back, pleased he was could understand R2 better than he could BB8.

Sat on the sabacc table leaning forward and lifeless in her deactivated state was the droid that they had managed to take with them from Mandalore. Though Finn had wanted her to go back to Dom-Bradden, Poe had reasoned that they needed to get as much information from it and use as soon as possible, sending it back to base was counter-productive, instead he had sent R2 so they could find out any information they could use. As a precaution Jannah had deactivated it, so that at least if there was a trace on her they could find it.

Rolling over to the Droid R2, finding the new design and look of the droid unlike anything he had seen before, though he had been deactivated for a over decade and had only be active for almost 2 years, he found all the changes around not to be his circuit-preferences. Connecting himself to the Droid, he gave a whistle to those around him to wish him luck, he had been literally burnt before when trying to gain information from foreign computers and Droids, losing a circuit and chip or two was never comfortable.

Jannah and Finn looked at eachother, taking a breath.

The blue eyes of the droid lite up in a paler shade as R2 awoke the droid as he make contact and connected, putting them into rest/sleep mode, so that he could stop the droid from activating any defence or destruct modes. For a moment was scanning and his dome head back and forth as he gained access into the mainframe of the droid. 

“Is he okay?” Jannah asked worried.

Chewbacca moved closer to look at his little droid friend, he growled at R2 worriedly but there wasn’t a response. Concerned Chewbacca tapped (a Wookiee version of a tap which was more a bang) to get a response from R2.

R2 turned his doomed head towards Chewbacca and gave several annoyed beeps followed by a raspberry sound, to which Chewbacca shrugged his shoulders and went back to lean on the wall. 

Continuing on, R2 begun to see if he could deactivate any defences or self-destruct programmes but found there was none. Instead he found the Droid was as a basic protocol Droid, adapted to function mainly to carry typical duties of that of a petty officer. Underneath it all, he could see the Droid had developed what most people would call a personality, though this was impossible and it was actually considered a development and adaption of the Droid to it master and surroundings, R2D2 begged to differ about his own personality and sense of self though. With skill and ease R2 did what he could to enhance the Droids personality, giving them more freedom of thought and the ability to think for itself by taking away the thing that was stopping them from doing so.

Before he did so, R2 beeped a warning to the others that he was going to wake up the Droid, detaching his connection to the Droids right arm. Which everyone frowned at and went to ask R2 what he was doing, but were stopped when the Droid’s blue eyes turned brighter blue and they came to life as all their circuits awoke.

Sitting up and shaking their head to both sides, the Droid lifted up their black and blue metal covered arms, so they were raised stiffly at above the sabacc table. Making a sound as if clearing their throat, the Droid said in female voice. “Hello, my name is K7PO, I am at your services.”

“R2…” Finn asked concernedly. “What did you do?”

Turning to face him R2 answered, sounding pleased with himself concerning his work. 

“You what?” Jannah shouted, crouching down in front of R2. “You deprogrammed her? But we need the information she has about where the clones could be!”

Rolling away from Jannah, beeping and whistling R2 tried quickly to explain his genius work. 

“Gree.” Came the voice of K7PO from behind them.

In front of R2, looked ready to start pull circuits and of the small droid but stopped and looked at K7. “What?”

“The system that The First Order currently has established itself onto is Gree. There is one planet but there are several moons, each containing different climates and different-“

Realising what R2 had been saying, Finn still not as fast as he would prefer in binary, started to laugh. “The little garbage can did. He reprogrammed her, she still has all the information on the First Order but she completely free of them.”

Making the sound of clearing her throat, k7 said. “Please do not reference myself as she or he, I prefer the pronoun of they, them, their or K7.” 

Next to R2 Jannah patted R2 on his doomed sliver and blue head and said. “Sorry to doubt you R2.” 

Leaning his body forward on his wheel, R2 gave his version of an accepting bow to Jannah to her apologise.

R2 was used to the humans doubting him, he had grown accustomed to it over the years, he had seen them all go through so much, it didn’t surprise him they tended to doubt everything. The only person he had thought hadn’t doubted himself was his former master and friend Luke Skywalker, though, as with everyone else he was proven wrong.


	17. Hero's Decisions.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Name one hero who was happy?"  
>  Madeline Miller; The Song Of Achilles.

Time had little to know meaning, to Rey she felt if she had just died and arrived into the after world, but she also felt as if had been there for years and had always been there.

Sat in front of the slow burning fire somewhere in the forest where Rey and her parents sat, Rey realised she couldn’t feel the worth of the fire before her, then, as if she willed by the force, she begun to feel it on her bare arms and legs, warming her up even though she had not been cold. 

“You will get used to it here.” Rey’s father Mattew smiled next to her.

“Are…my friends here? The ones who passed?” Rey asked

Smiling, the flicking of the fire giving his face glow Mattew replied. “Yes, everyone is here.”

“Even…even those who have done wrong?” Rey asked, wondering if she would have to the likes of Palpatine again here, with all his lies and deceit.

“NO!” Katine said firmly. “Their souls do not come here…they go elsewhere, a place that you will never have to see.”

Looking back at the fire, Rey felt relieved if that was case, though looking into the flames she remembered something she had seen before she had died, something that had caused her to see how vile and loathsome the darkside was, when she seen the past members of the Sith on Exogal, the eager icy coldness of their presence, taking away all the air and warmth within and around her, how their souls, even in death, craved power and they all shared that single mindness in their after-lives. 

“Can I see them?” Rey asked.

Both Mattew and Katine looked at each-other, communicating something together. For a second Rey felt annoyed, but than realised a simple fact, her parents were concerned for her and wanted to protect her, even in the after-life. 

“Please. Mum and Dad” Rey said. “I want to see them.”

Nodding Mattew stood and reached out a hand to his daughter. “We can’t lie to you…We’ve waited so long to see you, we don’t want to lose you again.”

Confused but putting her father’s words down to his love for her and having been absent from her life for so long. Taking her hand, she reached for her Mother’s behind her and all three of them begun to walk away from the fire into the forest.

Everything around begun to change, it happened so quickly and naturally Rey didn’t realise it that she was walking on a paved floor with a beautiful purple evening sky ahead of her. As they walked, she turned around her and saw that there were mountains in the distance and tall tower needle like buildings around, which they were moving towards. Looking back ahead of her, Rey saw that they were on a balcony and moving to a crowd of people who sat talking and laughing. 

Though didn’t recognise the laughs, she knew they face, though as if time had gone backwards the people before looked younger and healthier than she had ever seen or remembered them. 

With a drink in his hand, leaning back in lounging chair, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world sat Han Solo, with his crooked grin in his face, wearing almost exactly the same outfit she had last seen him in. Next to him sat a man who had his arms crossed over his chest, in a dark grey outfit and shawl looking as if it was made for him, his light brown hair at a neat length above his ears, his blue eyes bright and kind, chuckling back at Han Solo was a younger Luke Skywalker. Standing leaning on the low wall of the balcony stood a woman, clad in an elegant golden dress, which wrapped around her and pillowed out around her arms and side, her long hair was loose with a single braid around the crown of her head, stood a youthful Leia, smiling down at her family. 

Suddenly stopping with a gasp, Rey found herself losted for words. Next to her, her parents stopped too, her father holding tighter on to his daughter’s hand. 

Leia was the first to see look her, her smiled changed quickly, then her whole face changed, instead of the youthful Leia that had been there moments ago, instead was the Leia that Rey remembered.

Beside her, Han and Luke turned their faces towards Rey and her parents, their expressed changed and their faces changed, the same as Leia’s had done, losing their youthfulness and ageing into the faces she had known when alive. 

Moving away from where she stood, the Leia that Rey remembered walked towards, a warm smile on her face. Holding her breath, Rey watched as Leia walked with grace and ease, no longer needing her walking cane or struggling in any way.

Both Luke and Han stood up and followed Leia to meet Rey.

Still each holding her hands, Rey’s parents gave a comforting squeeze to their daughter.

“Rey…” Leia smiled, reaching out her arms towards the younger woman.

To Rey, in her mind, it had only been a few days, if not hours, since she had last seen Leia, when she had left with Poe and Finn to go on their mission that had been nonsensical and had lead them around the galaxy, fighting Ben, fighting when there had been no need…Leia dying and Rey losing all hope…Rey dying…

“Its okay.” Leia said comfortingly.

The shorter woman had been the first person who truly given a motherly hug since she was a child and despite everything, Rey had still felt like a child even now standing before Leia now and being embraced by her again, Rey having to rest her chin on Lei’a shoulder and lean over to hug her.

“I’m so sorry.” Rey whispered.

“Why child?” Leia asked seriously, though still holding on.

“I…I didn’t…I couldn’t…” Rey tried to say, trying to not cry but crying tears she couldn’t feel but she knew were there. 

Coming out of the hug, Leia took the side of Rey’s face gently in her hands, holding tenderly. “You did everything you could Rey, you never had to be perfect, you had to be you and that is exactly what you.”

“But…I died.” Rey whispered.

From behind Leia the voice of Han Solo. “You died fighting.”

Another voice from behind Leia that of Luke Skywalker said. “You died like a Jedi with no fear.”

Surrounding by all those that had changed her life and she had lost, Rey felt a peace and feeling of satisfaction that she didn’t think was possible, though she knew there was so much more that needed to be discussed.

Time truly didn’t move, if it did nothing moved or changed.

Where they all sat around talking, as if it was a normal day, was what Leia had created using her conscious, which was Alderaan. This, Rey guessed, was Leia’s idea of paradise and a place where she was happy. 

Han and Luke looked more relaxed than she remembered, though there was a weariness in both of their eyes whenever she turned to talk them. 

The conversation was light, talking about old times between Han and Leia, with Katine and Mattew listening and smiling, or Luke talking about Tatooine, or Han Solo talking about the Kessel run to Rey’s parents. Though nothing was forced or fake, their was an oddness to the way everyone was talking, no-one asked Rey any questions or explained to much of where the really were, which slowly starting to annoy and confuse Rey.

It was after a time, which is the only way anything could be called, that Leia noticed the way Rey was fidgeting and how she was trying to catch the eye of those around her, to look into to them.

“We can’t carry on like this.” Leia said with a tired exhale.

Rey turned to face Leia who had spoken when Han Solo had been mid-sentence talking about how Luke and he had once had to fight their out of being eaten by a Sarlacc pit in the middle of the Tattooine desert.

“Leia…not now…I beg you.” Katine said pleadingly.

“What…what’s going on.” Rey asked.

Clearing his throat Matthew said in a sad disfeated tone. “Katine, she is right, you know she is.”

“Leia, please no… not yet.” Katine said, ignoring her husband.

Looking from face to face around her, Rey found that this time she could look into the eyes of those around her, though what she saw was not what she expected; pity.

Calmly Rey said. “Someone please tell me.”

Everyone was silent, there was not a sound amongst them, the silence echoed all around them, making the false paradise around seem more like prison, there was no breeze, no air, no sound of wildlife or life at all, it was hollow.

The voice that spoke first was Han, his voice was sad but even, looking directly at Rey with the a look she had seen before just before he had died on Starkiller Base. “There is something you need to know Rey. When you died…Ben…he lived but your death changed him.”

“Changed?” Rey asked. “He came back to The Light, he fought with me.” Turning to Luke and Leia she could see that they weren’t looks of still and calm. “What happened to him?”

“He…lost you.” Han said slowly. “He came back to the Light but your death, it caused him to lose all hope he had left.”

Rey felt that she had been punched in the chest, she could feel the pain start to spread in to her what and where her heart was and she reached her palm to it and looked down at her feet. Ben, he was alive but he was more lost than he had been before, he had lost everything and he was alone. Why hadn’t she realised this could happen? She had been happy to see him and feel the light that had shone from him, how every part of him was alive and whole, that she had thought that he had returned fully, even with her death, they had both won. 

“He went back to the dark.” Han said sadly. Though he never felt the light or the darkside within his own self, only in other people, the way he said those words bore the wait of understanding those words all too well. 

“He’s all alone.” Rey whispered, more to herself than those around her, still looking down at her feet, not wanting to look at the those around.

Reaching out his flesh hand to Rey's shoulder Luke Skywalker exhaled tiredly. “He is, now more than ever.” 

Looking up from the her feet that she looked into the eyes of the Jedi Master she had only known for a matter of days, she saw the same sadness she had seen when he had told her of Ben Solo’s fall to the darkside. 

“Rey,” Luke said. “He needs your help.”

“Help?” Rey asked. “What I can do?”

Nearby Rey heard her mother sigh angrily, she turned to face her as her father took her mother’s hand in his and tried to comfort her. 

“You…you want me to visit him.” Rey said, looking at her parents. “To guild him in some way.”

“No…” Luke said gravely. “We…want you to go back.”

Spinning her head back to face Luke, she thought for a moment he was joking, that the words that had come out his mouth were a mistake or a joke and that he would say something to clarify then. 

But he didn’t.

“Go back? But that’s impossible.” Rey said. 

Leia nearby sat up straighter where she sat. “There is a way Rey, a way that may mean you can never return back here.”

“Wh-what?” Rey said surprised and a hint of joy. The thought of seeing her friends, of training Finn, of truly seeing all the galaxy like she always wanted, to see all the sunrises and sunsets, to feel warm rain in the sun, to run in the snow and to live. “There’s a way back? I can be with my friends.” 

But a sobering thought hit in the drunkenness of the possibility of returning. She may never see her parents again, after finally meeting and learning the truth of her family…she would lose them. 

“And lose you.” Rey looked at her parents, tears forming in both their eyes, though her father turned to face away, trying to hide them for a moment.

“We wouldn’t ask this of you if was not completely necessary. “ Luke said. “You are the only one Ben will listen to.”

It made sense, Rey knew that, through their connection and knowledge of eachother it all made sense. 

She would sacrifice herself for him. For the Skywalker’s.

Sat there with her parents and those that had helped to mould her life for the last few years, Rey realised something then, something she had barely thought about for years and had given little thought to, as she had thought there was little worth admitting it, when it had always been beyond her own power to change and alter.

Her life had never been her own. 

Her parents had abandoned her to save her, she had gone with Finn, and then Han Solo, to help the Resistance, she had gone to Luke Skywalker as Leia had said it was what she could do, she had tried with Luke to be rejected, she gone to Ben Solo to try to save him, she had fought and run with the Resistance, she had stayed by Leia, she gone on mission after mission for them, she fought and fought Ben Solo for the Resistance, she had died because it had been the only choice.

Everything that had happened in her life and been propelled by the actions and needs of someone else, for someone else. 

Not once had been asked what she had wanted.

Ben Solo had wanted her to turn to the Darkside. Wanted her to be something he had wanted.

She remembered what she had felt when her parents had left her, how their decision to save her and protect her was to abandon her.

Leia had wanted her to face Ben and save him, she had known that all along, even though she had never said so.

Now again it was wanted of her to save Ben Solo again, a man, a person she barley knew, someone who she had fought with, and for, several times, a man who had entered into her life and tried to control her, someone she knew very little of but the force had declared that the two of them would have a connection the she had had no say in what-so-ever. 

Rey felt anger then. Anger that she knew Jedi weren’t supposed to feel, an emotion that was supposed to be denied her, though there was so much in the galaxy to be angry about, beyond her own life but others and the galaxy had treated them.

As all these thoughts rolled around her head she felt all the eyes of those around her watching, waiting for her say or do anything. 

She could feel the way that they looked at her, sad that they were asking this of her, but though their brows were drawn together intensely as they waited, she could see that they all thought she would say yes. 

Han, Leia and Luke waiting to let go of their unreal breaths for Rey to say yes, as Rey would say yes because she was Rey and she always helped others.

Katine and Matthew sat watching with sad and knowing faces at their daughter, having seen her life from a distance, they seen how she for those that needed her and were sure their daughter would leave.

“No.” Rey said standing up from where she sat. 

The reactions of those around her were divide, her parents relieved and shocked, while Han, Leia and Luke were shocked and stunned.

“Rey…” Luke said. “Please, you have to understand, we need you, Ben needs you, the galaxy-“

“The galaxy needs me?” Rey said, her voice slowly rising standing before them all. “The galaxy needs me to die again for it? To give it all I have again for it?”

Turning to face Han and Leia, Rey could feel her resentment growing in a way that even surprised her. “You want me to save your son, again? You want me save a man who I still barely know, who was the cause of all your deaths in some way, again? Save him even though I have tried several times and failed several times?” 

Looking at all of them, she took a breath and said in a much calmer tone. “I spent so much time doing what everyone wanted, saving those who needed it or didn’t, I died for it…I don’t deserve to have what little peace the galaxy can give me in death by returning and fighting again…knowing that at the end I have nothing. I did what I could for that man…though it hurts, I cannot save him again.”

Around her everyone was silent.

Taking one last look at them, Rey moved away from them and begun to walk away, though she didn’t where she was walking to, she moved away and behind she could feel the ripples of shock rolling behind her.

For the first time in life, Rey could only think about how quiet and still everything felt around her, for the first time she felt nothing.


End file.
